Van Nuys Man Pleads Guilty in Rape, Kidnaping

A 22-year-old Van Nuys man pleaded guilty Monday to raping a woman at knifepoint in front of her 6-year-old son and attempting to kidnap a Van Nuys convenience store clerk.

Under terms of a plea bargain with prosecutors, Mike Morris is to receive 24 years in prison. He could have received nearly double that sentence if convicted of all eight charges against him, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth A. Loveman.

Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Darlene E. Schempp scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6.

Morris pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and one count each of forcible oral copulation, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary in the July 26, 1987, rape and to one count each of kidnaping and robbery in the kidnap attempt on July 27, 1987, Loveman said.

Loveman said Morris broke into the victim’s home in the 1300 block of Friar Street about 1 a.m. and entered the victim’s bedroom with his head covered with panty hose.

The rape victim, who was then 23, testified at Morris’ preliminary hearing in May that she awoke to find Morris sitting over her, holding a knife to her throat. Morris ordered her to bring her son into the room before raping her, she testified.

The woman testified that Morris took the boy out of the room and returned to rape her again, threatening to harm the boy if she called police.

Loveman said that during the assault, Morris removed the stocking from his head, and the victim recognized Morris as a friend of her brother’s.

The next day, Morris entered a 7-Eleven store at 13253 Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys and robbed the store of a small amount of cash. He forced clerk Rose Romero, 32, of North Hollywood into the parking lot by pretending to hold a gun to her back, Loveman said.

Romero pretended to faint and Morris fled. Morris was identified as a frequent patron of the store.