Rossano Williams, 43, of Alton, Illinois. Lewiston Police Department Facebook photo

LEWISTON — An Illinois man was captured in New York this week and arrested on a warrant from Lewiston charging him with strangling, beating and sexually assaulting a woman in late September.

Rossano Williams, 43, of Alton, Illinois, was arrested late Wednesday night, although details about his capture were not clear.

Lewiston police had been searching for him to serve a warrant charging him with gross sexual assault, aggravated assault and strangulation stemming from an incident reported the weekend of Sept. 23.

In the days prior to the attack, for which Williams is charged, he had been in and out of the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn.

Williams was arrested Sept. 17 on a charge of operating without a license. Two days later, he was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended license and violating conditions of release. One day after that, on a Saturday, Williams was arrested on charges of engaging a prostitute, operating without a license and violating conditions of release.

After the third arrest, Williams was released from jail on $150 cash bail. A week later, he was accused in the attack in which he is now being held. Police did not provide further details about the assault.

After his arrest in New York, Williams was extradited to Maine. He was being held Friday night at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn on $25,000 bail.

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