Evansville woman wakes to find strange man in bedroom

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - An Evansville woman is counting her blessings the day after a terrifying wake-up call on Monday when she found a strange man in her bedroom.

“I just really feel like it was a scary thing, and the police walked me through my apartment,” says Rhonda Higginbotham.

Evansville Police are investigating after Higginbotham says she woke up to a man in her bedroom. It happened around 11 p.m. Monday at Van Park Apartments.

Higginbotham tells us it happened so fast. All she can remember is that he was bent down on the other side of the bed.

She says he was clothed, but she cannot remember exactly what he was wearing. It was enough to scare her into darting out the door to a neighbor’s to call for help.

On Monday, Higginbotham did what she does every night. She went to bed at 10 p.m. and woke up an hour later in the middle of a nightmare.

“There was a guy in my apartment, and I was asleep, and I woke up, and he was going on the side of my bed, but he was just down on the floor," Higginbotham said to Evansville 911. "I guess he was going to sneak into my bed. I really thought he was coming there to rape me. I really did, and it really scared me.”

Higginbotham says the man did not try to touch or grab her. She wasted no time hopping out of bed and darting out of her apartment.

“I just went and took off running out the front door and went to Sandy’s apartment which is across the street with no shoes on, no house coat and a thin night gown,” says Higginbotham.

Rhonda knew her neighbor Sandy would be awake at that hour and that calling police from her place would be safer.

“I didn’t see him follow me. I was going so fast, I don’t think he could have caught me,” says Higginbotham.

Rhonda tells us she is not sure how she was able to run so quickly with a foot injury that usually slows her down. Thinking back on what could have happened, she says she owes her strength and safety to God.

“Something just woke me up. I know it was God because I just felt like it was a feeling that somebody was there,” says Higginbotham.

Rhonda did hear a car speed away but did not see what it looked like.

Rhonda does not think the man took anything from her apartment. Police say there is no evidence that he broke in.

Rhonda tells us she thought she locked her door. Of course she said she cannot be certain, but she says she will definitely be making sure she locks her doors Tuesday night.

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