Times Leader

Dallas Township police captured South Dakota rape suspect

DALLAS TWP. — Township police arrested a Wilkes-Barre man on domestic abuse charges later discovering he was wanted on an arrest warrant charging him with felony rape in South Dakota.

Dlron Dezmend Lee Simmons, 26, of Park Avenue, was arrested when police investigated a domestic disturbance at County Club Apartments finding a woman with injuries to her face on Jan. 16, according to court records.

Police said the woman had a bruise near her right eyebrow, swollen cheeks and lips. She claimed an argument with Simmons turned physical and she sustained the injuries from carpet burn when she was pushed to the floor, court records say.

Simmons told police, court records say, they were arguing and began throwing things at each other and “it escalated from there.”

Police said a background check revealed Simmons was wanted by the Pennington County, South Dakota, sheriff’s department charging him with felony rape.

The warrant from Pennington County says Simmons was charged by a county grand jury Jan. 4 for raping a 20-year-old person (unknown gender) on March 2, 2022. The warrant list Simmons’ address at a hotel in Rapid City, S.D.

Simmons waived his right to an extradition hearing before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough on Jan. 18.

Dallas Township police charged Simmons with simple assault and harassment for the alleged domestic disturbance on Jan. 16.