The Kansas City Police Department in Missouri is under scrutiny after a Black woman escaped her alleged captor, and at least two other Black women were found dead following warnings from the community about a possible serial killer on the loose.

On Oct. 7, a 22-year-old Black woman, only identified by authorities as “TJ” to protect her identity, reportedly escaped from a house in Excelsior Springs, a suburb near Kansas City, and ran to a nearby house crying for help. The woman was allegedly kidnapped, raped, and whipped. She was restrained in shackles during her abduction, reported the Kansas City Defender.

The victim said the man who kidnapped her also killed two of her friends.

Kansas City police arrested 39-year-old Timothy Haslett, Jr. Haslett has been charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, and second-degree assault. He has pleaded not guilty, reported the Excelsior Citizen.

Police said the victim managed to escape when Haslett left to drop his son off at school. She was found barefoot while wearing latex lingerie and with duct tape around her mouth.

In September, the Kansas City Defender posted a video warning about a person targeting Black women near Prospect Avenue, but police expressed doubts about the claims.

More about the abduction and missing women can be found here.