Bellingham man charged for allegedly drugging, raping unconscious woman
A Bellingham man was arrested Tuesday, July 27, for allegedly drugging and raping a woman in 2014.
Eli Hamal Pucci, 44, is facing one count of second-degree rape in Whatcom County Superior Court. A warrant was issued for his arrest in late June, and he was booked into the Whatcom County Jail Tuesday.
He had a first appearance hearing in court Tuesday, but court records from the hearing were not immediately available Wednesday. Jail records show he was released Tuesday evening on $5,000 bail.
According to charging documents filed in court, a woman told Bellingham police Pucci sexually assaulted her in 2014.
The woman told police she made a social media post in 2014 stating she had finished her last test for college and wanted to celebrate and was reaching out to see if any of her friends wanted to join her, court records state. Pucci, who was the woman’s mutual friend and former coworker, reached out and the two agreed to meet at a restaurant for drinks, the records state.
The woman told police she had two drinks and then Pucci suggested they go back to his apartment to take Adderall. Pucci gave her a line to snort, which she did, instead of a pill, the records show. The woman told police she had taken Adderall before and knew how it affected her body.
The woman told police she didn’t remember getting drowsy and the last memory she had was of sitting on Pucci’s couch, the court records state. She told police this was not how Adderall had affected her in the past.
The woman later woke up to Pucci sexually assaulting her, court records state.
The woman told police Pucci stopped what he was doing and pulled up his pants when she came to. She said Pucci was “weirdly comforting her and telling her that everything is going to be OK,” and told the woman she needed to go home and rest, the records show.
The woman said she felt “fuzzy, drugged, groggy” and wasn’t sure what was going on when she came to.
The woman told two of her friends that Pucci assaulted her and described an “unnatural pain” she had. One of the friends told police that the woman believed she was drugged and that Pucci gave her something other than Adderall, court records state.
When Bellingham police attempted to contact Pucci for an interview, his attorney advised him not to provide statements, the records show.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
