DeKalb County paramedic convicted of raping woman he found asleep in car

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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A DeKalb County jury has found a former EMS paramedic guilty of raping a woman who he found asleep in her car.

Bruce Andre Hines of College Park has been sentenced to decades in prison for the sexual assault of his 51-year-old victim.

What we know:

Officials say the investigation began on March 5, 2023, when the victim called 911 to report that she had been raped by an EMS driver earlier that day.

According to prosecutors, the woman had been out with friends the night before and had fallen asleep in her car near an apartment complex off of the 4000 block of Glenwood Road.

The victim told police that she was woken up by Hines, who said that he had responded to reports of a person asleep in their car and that he had canceled the call so she wouldn't face any legal problems.

Hines moved his emergency SUV and the woman's vehicle to a nearby abandoned parking lot. The woman, who had fallen back asleep, woke up to him assaulting him.

Following the assault, Hines reportedly called one of the woman's friends with her cell phone, telling the friend that the woman was not in a safe place to leave her car.

Once with her friend, the woman revealed what had happened and called the police.

Dig deeper:

Investigators say surveillance footage from a nearby hotel showed the SUV responding to the call and pulling up to the victim's car. The video also shows Hines approaching the car on foot and then drive both vehicles to the parking lot.

The team in the ambulance identified Hines as the driver. DNA collected after the assault also matched Hines.

What's next:

After the jury's verdict, a DeKalb County judge sentenced Hines to 25 years in custody.

When he is released, Hines will spend the rest of his life on probation and must register as a sex offender.