Police: Pa. man beat, kidnapped, tried to deport wife

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - January 14, 2013 (WPVI) -- A Chester County man has been charged with beating, kidnapping and trying to send his wife to Eastern Europe.

Lirim "Lenny" Rufati of the Cambridge Hall Apartments in West Chester is charged with kidnapping, rape, assault and other offenses.

Prosecutors say on January 11th, Rufati kidnapped his wife from her West Goshen apartment, drove her to JFK Airport in New York and tried to force her to board a plane to the Republic of Macedonia.

Investigators learned about the abduction when a friend of the victim called 911. Rufati and his wife were intercepted at the airport by Port Authority Police.

Prosecutors say the victim told police Rufati was forcing her to leave the country.

They say she also told investigators that Rufati had assaulted her physically and sexually numerous times over the course of a year while the couple lived together in West Goshen.

Rufati was arrested and charged. Bail was set at $250,000 cash.

A preliminary hearing is set for January 22nd.

Get more Local/State »

pennsylvania, abduction, sex assault, chester county, new york, local/state

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•