By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – A New Orleans woman escaped her would-be rapist Saturday night near Killona by taking away his handgun and running into the woods, a St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman reported.

A 46-year-old New Orleans man was later apprehended by St. James Parish authorities and returned to St. Charles Parish, where he will face charges of attempted aggravated rape and aggravated oral sexual battery.

The 34-year-old victim told police that Royace R. Hill, 2801 Earhardt Blvd., New Orleans, a newly-hired, off-duty driver for West Bank Marrero Cab Company, picked her up earlier Saturday evening at a nightclub and drove her to a remote location along Louisiana Highway 3127, near Killona, not far from the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.

Once there, the man forced the woman to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, then attempted to rape her. Instead, according to Capt. Patrick Yoes of the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office, she was able to take away her attacker’s handgun and escape naked into the nearby woods. After a short time, her attacker drove away, headed west.

A short time later, at 11:15 p.m. a passing motorist reported the naked woman attempting to flag him down and an deputy retrieved her so she could report the incident to the sheriff’s office, where she turned over the handgun to detectives.

An all-points bulletin was issued to surrounding law enforcement agencies, and a St. James Parish sheriff’s deputy made an arrest on Hill at 3:37 a.m. Sunday, according to Yoes.

Bond was set by 29th Judicial District Judge Kirk Granier at $350,000. Hill is presently being held at the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center.