Investigators said Royce Pinkston convinced a 19-year-old college student to let him drive her home. Her instincts might have saved her life.

HOUSTON — An Arizona man is facing two felony charges in Texas after a series of events that unfolded earlier this month.

According to authorities, Royce Marques Pinkston, 36, sexually assaulted a 19-year-old woman and led police on a chase before he was caught and arrested. He’s charged with aggravated sexual assault, a first-degree felony, and evading arrest, a third-degree felony. His combined bond was set at $140,000, which he posted.

The incident happened on March 12.

According to court documents, Pinkston and the victim didn’t know each other and met in Houston.

The victim was from Prairie View A&M University and was on spring break. She said she went to a bar in Midtown, where she met Pinkston, who offered to drive her home.

She said the GPS in Pinkston’s vehicle showed a trip time of 20 minutes, which she knew was wrong. She said he pulled a gun and put it to her head while sexually assaulting her. The victim was able to convince Pinkston that she needed to call her boyfriend so he wouldn’t get worried about where she was. She secretly called a friend and disguised the conversation about what was going on. The friend eventually understood what was going on and called the police.

Officers said they were able to track down Pinkston’s vehicle. When an officer approached the vehicle, the victim was able to get out of the vehicle. She wasn’t wearing pants, was crying and running hysterically. An officer said she told him that she had been raped.

According to police, Pinkston led them on a chase and eventually stopped his vehicle in a parking lot and ran on foot. He was eventually taken into custody around 5:45 a.m. Authorities said they found a gun in his vehicle.

After making bond, Pinkston was released from custody. He’s due back in court on May 14.

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