OSBI Offering Reward For Info On 2019 Watonga Home Invasions

WATONGA — In fall 2019, two home invasion cases rocked the Watonga community and targeted elderly citizens for robbery and, in one case, rape. Now, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is asking the public for help in these cases, which remain unsolved nearly two years later.

The OSBI is offering “two separate $7,500 rewards for information that leads agents to the person responsible for” the home invasions, it said in a press release last week.

On Oct. 13, 2019, an 82-year-old Watonga man was assaulted and robbed at his 4th Street home. His vehicle was also stolen, but was later recovered by law enforcement.

That man was treated at a local hospital at the time, officials said.

On Nov. 17, a 78-year-old Watonga woman was raped and robbed in her home near Airport Road.

The assailant in both cases is described as a “stocky” Black man in his early 30s, who was wearing dark clothing at the time. The OSBI believes both cases are connected.

In mid-March, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office said it had been in contact with the OSBI and that the agency had “no new leads at this time.” The sheriff’s office said it was working with the OSBI to set up a reward for tips “in hopes of leading to more information to help in these cases.”

The sheriff’s office had requested OSBI assistance back in 2019 when the invasions first happened, the agency said.

Anyone with information about either case can contact the OSBI at 800-522-8017 or tips@osbi.ok.gov. Reporting individuals can remain anonymous, the agency added.