Charlotte woman who helped rape survivor says system failed victim, suspect

CHARLOTTE — A good Samaritan jumped into action to help a kidnapping and rape survivor.

That path to justice ended abruptly after police said the suspect died by suicide after a six-hour standoff with officers.

Channel 9′s crime reporter Hunter Sáenz has been investigating this case and suspect. He spoke with the person who found the victim, Sangria Noble, who said the crime was a failure in the system.

She believes this could have been prevented and is still heartbroken by what she saw when the victim was dropped off in a parking lot on Beatties Ford Road. Noble said she saw the clear signs of abuse Monday.

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“I said hold up, something ain’t right,” Noble said.

Noble had previously helped the woman with getting services that include transitional housing. The woman, who is homeless and frequents the area, told Noble the details of what happened to her.

Police said the 47-year-old woman was put in a car at gunpoint, driven somewhere else, and raped at gunpoint. Later, she was dropped off in front of the building where Noble works.

“Black eye, bruises on her arm, gash in her head. So then I looked back and him and said ‘what did you do to my sister?’” she said.

Noble said the man she came face-to-face with was Jeremy Keith Asbury. Police said he was the suspect in the sex assault case.

Jeremy Keith Asbury Prior mug shot (Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office)

On Tuesday, detectives caught up with him at a house off Columbus Circle in west Charlotte. An hourslong standoff ended with Asbury shooting himself. He died at the hospital.

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“Systematic failure,” Noble said.

Noble, along with activist Diana Powell, said mental health services for the suspect and housing for the victim may have helped.

“If it had been addressed on the front end, maybe it would have prevented situations like this,” Powell said.

“Some housing that may have lessened her chances of being abducted and victimized and kidnapped and harmed, because she would never forget this for the rest of her life,” Noble said.

Asbury had a long criminal history. He was accused of kidnapping and raping another woman in Fayetteville back in 2015, but those charges were dropped due to witnesses not wanting to testify.

(WATCH BELOW: Suspect arrested on charges of attempted murder and kidnapping after police standoff in Fort Mill)