Man raped woman after tricking Clay hotel staff to give him key to her room, troopers say

Clay, N.Y. – A Syracuse man sneaked into a woman’s hotel room Sunday morning and raped her while her boyfriend was locked outside, troopers said.

Pierre C. Reese, 40, was arrested Sunday at the Comfort Inn and Suites Liverpool-Clay, said Trooper Jack Keller, a spokesperson for the state police.

The woman was out for a celebration Saturday night at a nearby restaurant and decided to stay at the hotel at 3979 Route 31, he said. Her boyfriend joined her, he said.

At 6 a.m. Sunday, Reese was able to get a room key card from the hotel’s overnight receptionist, Keller said. He was given the card under false pretenses, he said.

Around 11 a.m., when the woman’s boyfriend went to grab a soda from a vending machine, Reese entered the room and raped the woman, he said.

The boyfriend tried to open the room door but was locked out. A short time later, Reese physically confronted the boyfriend while leaving the room, he said.

The police were called because of the fight. Reese was arrested at the hotel, Keller said.

Reese was arraigned and bail was set at $150,000 cash or $300,000 bond. He is being held at the Justice Center jail.

Reese has a history of stalking the victim, Keller said.

Reese was arrested for kidnapping, robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in June, according to the Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard police blotter. It could not be determined if the crime involved the woman he attacked.

A manager at Comfort Inn and Suites declined to comment when contacted by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com.