Updated: 6/8/2006 11:45:56 PM
A Sevierville neighborhood was both relieved and shocked, one day after a suspect in a string of rapes and attempted rapes was arrested.
Police say Jerry Inmnan confessed to raping a 28-year old Sevierville woman May 22.
Residents of the Belle Meadows subdivision say they were told Inman cased their neighborhood and attacked after the woman's husband left for work around 6 a.m.
The District Attorney's office reports Inman had a knife, when he surprised the woman who was still in bed and home alone with her 2-year old daughter.
While the woman told police she didn't want to talk about what happened, neighbors finally felt comfortable enough to share their thoughts.
"It scared us," Jan John explained. "That doesn't happen here. This is a quiet, little nice neighborhood."
The quiet, relatively crime-free area lead John and her husband to move their three children from Florida to Sevierville three years ago.
But after hearing one of their neighbors was raped in her own home two and a half weeks ago, the whole family was on alert.
John was especially worried about her two daughters.
"I went around and checked the doors all the time," she said. "I would make sure the windows were locked. We used to leave them open at night for the breeze, but no more."
"It just shook the whole neighborhood," neighbor Claire James said.
James, a grandmother of seven, was even more terrified when she saw Inman's face on TV.
It convinced her to agree with another neighbor's suggestion that they target practice together.
"I do have a weapon and I need to get a license and so forth," James said. "I know that sounds like it's a stretch for me. I'd rather pray."
James' son-in-law wants the whole subdivision to protect itself.
"I would like to see a gate house or guard house, with some video at least," John Heilig said.
It was not a coincidence that safety was the scheduled focus of the neighborhood association's Thursday night meeting.
"Prayers are going out to the family that this happened to," John said. "A lot of responsibility needs to fall on the system and why people like this are let out. I sure wish Florida would have kept him in prison."
A Sevier County Grand Jury will hear evidence against Inman June 21.
The District Attorney is seeking aggravated rape and aggravated burglary indictments.
Inman would face those charges after South Carolina authorities wrap up their case.
