A Syracuse man was arrested for an alleged rape Thursday night after a woman woke up and claimed she found him on top of her.

According to the probable cause affidavit filed in Kosciusko Circuit/Superior Court this morning, Timothy Eugene Rottger, 43, of 10018 N. CR 400E, Syracuse, is charged with one count of rape, a level 3 felony.

He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 11:59 p.m. Thursday on a $20,000 surety and $250 cash bond.

At 10:17 p.m. Thursday, Kosciusko County Central Dispatch received a 911 call from a woman saying that she had just been raped by Rottger.



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When deputies arrived at Rottger’s home, they spoke with the victim who said that she was at the Rottger home with him and his wife drinking alcohol. She told police that she believed she was too drunk to drive home. The Rottgers allowed her  to sleep in a spare bedroom.

The victim said she had been asleep for a few hours when she woke up and found him on top and having intercourse with her. She said she forced Rottger off of her and fled to the kitchen to obtain her cellphone. She then called 911 to report the alleged assault. During that time, Rottger allegedly pleaded with her not to call the police.

After she made the call, Rottger’s wife came out of her bedroom and the victim asked for her clothes, which the wife then provided. The victim dressed and outside to wait for police.

A sheriff’s deputy spoke with Rottger who said after they had been drinking, his wife headed to bed and he told her he was going to check on the woman and then take a shower.

Rottger told police he went into the spare bedroom, spoke with the woman and caressed her arm and back. Rottger allegedly admitted to kissing the woman on the forehead before walking out of the room to shower. After taking a shower, the woman came out of the spare bedroom claiming Rottger had raped her.

Rottger was transported to the county jail where officers requested he provide a DNA sample, which he refused.

The victim was transported to the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Center for an examination and collection of evidence for injuries, corroborative evidence and/or DNA comparison.

A crime scene technician collected physical evidence at the Rottger home, including bed sheets, for corroborative evidence and/or DNA comparison.

Officers obtained a search warrant to obtain Rottger’s DNA.

When officers read a search warrant to Rottger, he said he wanted to change his story. He said he went into the spare room and began rubbing the victim’s back and arms, and while doing so, the woman woke up and began yelling, “Why are you doing this?” Rottger said he was in the room for approximately 15 minutes.