Man Charged In Robberies, Tanning Salon Rape

DUNCAN, S.C. -- A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a sexual assault and two robberies that happened on Tuesday night.
Spartanburg County Sheriff's Maj. Dan Johnson said Milciades Mendoza Alcantara, of Duncan, is charged with robbing a Subway restaurant on Highway 101.

Subway employee Amanda Cooper said, "He came up to me with a knife in his hand and pushed me to the cash register and basically pointed at Kristi, the girl I work with, with a knife pointed at me and pointed at the money."
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"I was in shock," Cooper said. "I didn't know what to do."

Johnson said Alcantara is also charged with robbing the Ultra Tan salon on East Main Street in Duncan earlier in the day and sexually assaulting a 19-year-old employee.

Investigators said after the employee gave Alcantara the cash, she was forced into a back room where she was raped. Deputies said that Alcantara tried to use a mop to remove evidence of the assault. The mop and fluid samples from the floor were later taken into evidence by investigators.

At about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, a Duncan police officer stopped a burgundy Toyota on Highway 290. Alcantara was arrested for driving under suspension.

The officer noticed a star tattoo on Alcantara's neck that the rape victim had described. Alcantara was driving a vehicle that matched the description of the one police were looking for.

Johnson said that investigators later went to Alcantara's house and found a ski mask and knife that witnesses said were used in both robberies and the sexual assault.

Subway employee Kristi Sanders said, "I just think it's crazy. I've been working there for years and we've never had any crazy people come in there like that.

Talking about the Ultra Tan employee, Sanders said, "I feel awful for her. I hope she's doing OK. I'm glad it wasn't us -- I wish it hadn't been her either … It's just awful. I'm glad they caught him."

Alcantara is being held in the Spartanburg County Detention Center.

He is charged with having a weapon during a violent crime, kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of armed robbery.

When WYFF News 4 contacted Ultra Tan's corporate office, a woman, who declined to be identified, said, "We have no comment, but of course employees are our main concern. We're putting things in place to keep them safe, but we really have no comment."

The woman did not explain what things were being "put in place."

Cooper said, "It's funny because me and Kristi were talking the other day if we ever got robbed, we would kung-fu him. We were joking around about it, but it's very different when it actually happens, because I didn't expect it at all."

She said, "I still feel safe working here, I mean, it could've happened anywhere."