An Ohio tattoo artist has been arrested, accused of luring a woman into his apartment and raping her after arranging a meeting on social media to tattoo her.
According to court documents obtained by Newsweek, the alleged victim says she was talking with Mario Rodriguez Ibarra, 22, on Facebook where the two arranged for her to come to Ibarra’s home to get a tattoo. The woman told Columbus police that Ibarra came to pick her up at her home at around 4.30 p.m. on August 22 with another male acquaintance and drove her to his apartment.
According to the affidavit, the woman said that when she entered Ibarra’s bedroom, he pulled out a gun, pulled her clothes off and raped her.
After Rodriguez Ibarra fell asleep, the woman told police she got dressed and left. She said that when she went outside she spoke to the other man about what had happened, per court documents. He reportedly called the police and waited with her until the officers arrived.
Rodriguez Ibarra was arrested on Friday, August 23, according to the court documents. He was taken to the Franklin County jail in Ohio and appeared in front of a judge on Saturday morning. His bond was set by Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Zach Gwin at $750,000. His next hearing is scheduled for August 30.
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Another tattoo artist was accused of a similar crime in 2023. Austin Kanouse, from Montana, has been charged with raping two women during a party for the anniversary of opening his tattoo studio. He has pleaded not guilty.
According to CBS affiliate KBZK, Kanouse’s girlfriend reported him to the police after she broke up with him.
The investigation, which began in July 2023, included a Facebook post from the police seeking additional victims or witnesses. Authorities say a recording was found showing Kanouse engaging in sexual intercourse with a seemingly unconscious woman, according to Bozeman Chronicle.
Detectives also reached out to other tattoo artists who worked in his studio and one allegedly told them Kanouse was often inappropriate with the customers, asking them to remove more clothing than necessary.
Kanouse appeared at the Law and Justice Center to face charges related to sex crimes in April 2024. Bozeman Chronicle reported that he pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial date does not yet appear to have been set.
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