Baton Rouge police have obtained an arrest warrant for a 67-year-old man accused of raping and robbing a worker inside a bathroom near City Hall last month. Alfred Richardson faces one count of second-degree rape and one count of simple robbery after investigators say a traced phone call and a photographic lineup identification tied him to the September attack.
What the Affidavit Describes
According to the arrest warrant affidavit filed in the 19th Judicial District Court, the reported assault happened Sept. 16 inside a bathroom in the 200 block of St. Louis Street, the same block as City Hall, as detailed by WBRZ. The victim told authorities he had an encounter with Richardson in which he provided housing information and gave the man $20 for bus fare, before Richardson allegedly made sexual advances, demanded he return to the bathroom, and then instructed him to perform sexual acts before forcing him to hand over money, per the same account.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage showing an encounter between the victim and the suspect before the assault, according to WAFB. Crime Scene detectives collected DNA evidence from the victim and the bathroom, which was submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis and ultimately identified an unknown male DNA profile, the station reports.
Voicemail and Photo Lineup Pointed to Richardson
The victim told investigators that the suspect later called his work phone and left a voicemail, and he recognized the caller's voice as the person who had assaulted him. Investigators traced the phone number back to Richardson through available law enforcement databases, according to the affidavit cited by WBRZ. On Oct. 1, the victim identified Richardson as his attacker during a six-person photographic lineup, per the same affidavit.
Investigators contacted Richardson by phone on Friday, and he identified himself during the call, the affidavit states. He was then asked to appear for an in-person interview but declined, according to the same account relayed by WAFB.
Second Violent Incident at City Hall in Less Than a Year
The case marks the second violent incident at Baton Rouge City Hall within a 10-month stretch, according to WBRZ. In December 2025, a man armed with a knife was detained outside Mayor-President Sid Edwards' office in the same building. Police were previously investigating a separate possible sexual assault of a city-parish employee at City Hall, though no suspect had been identified at that stage, the station notes.
Authorities declined on Friday afternoon to confirm whether the September incident involving the worker is related to that earlier reported assault of the city-parish employee. In the wake of these incidents, two Baton Rouge Police Department officers were assigned full-time to City Hall, and stiffer security at the building's entrance was planned following the earlier Wednesday incident, per WBRZ's reporting.
Potential Penalties Under Louisiana Law
Under Louisiana statute, second-degree rape is punishable by five to 40 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence, according to the Louisiana State Legislature. Simple robbery, the second charge Richardson faces, carries a fine of up to $3,000, imprisonment with or without hard labor for up to seven years, or both, per the Louisiana State Legislature's statute on the offense.
