Bizarre Tale of Kidnap, Rape, Turns Out to be a Hoax

News

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — A bizarre tale told by a 23-year-old Gainesville woman of being held against her will, molested and raped last week turned out to be a hoax and Phoebe Rena Cates was arrested and charged with making a false report and giving false inoformation to police.

The incident started when deputies from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office were called to a home on Dawsonville Hwy. where, they were confronted by Robert Somers, who emerged from his home brandishing a .22 rifle. He was taken into custody without incident, however. Moments later, Timothy Cates, Ms. Cates’ cousin, and Ms. Cates came outside.

According to the arrest report, Ms. Cates was upset and crying. She claimed she had been tied up with metal straps and that the two men held her at the location for three days against her will. She stated that both men were sexually touching her and that her cousin had raped her.

Cates later said she was tied up with shoe laces but according to the report, there were no ligature marks on her.The report also stated that Cates claimed she couldn’t call for help because the men had taken her cell phone away. Later, she claimed she had texted family to ask for help but no one came.

When deputies reminded her she had already claimed the phone had been taken from her, she said she found it while the men were away.

Somers willingly spoke to deputies and gave a different account of what happened.

According to the report, Somers said Tim Cates brought his cousin to his residence because she wanted to get away from an abusive relationship. He said Cates was never held against her will and was free to go at any time.

He further stated, that on March 23, he went to Murrayville for a few hours and when he returned home that evening, he found Cecil Dawson, the man Cates was supposed to be hiding from, at his house without his consent. Somers said when he went to bed Dawson was still there but he awoke because of two people screaming and he ordered Dawson to leave his home.

He told deputies the reason he was holding a rifle when they arrived was because he thought Dawson had returned.

Deputies noticed there was a video camera with audio on the front porch of the residence and after viewing it, they confronted Ms. Cates with the fact that the tape conflicted with her comments.

According to the arrest report, Ms Cates then stated that everything she told deputies had been a lie. She stated she had not been kidnapped or held against her will and that her cousin was only trying to help her.

The incident occupied three deputies for more than two hours. Ms Cates was arrested and charged with making a false report and taken to the Lumpkin County Detention Center. No charges will be filed against Cates or Somers.

Leave a comment

Back to Top