American accused of running over Aruba female cab driver

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) — An American real estate worker has been arrested on suspicion of beating, running over and threatening to rape a 70-year-old female taxi driver in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

Police said Patrick Maxwell, 30, of Austin, Texas, is charged with attempted rape and aggravated assault. Public Prosecution spokeswoman Ann Angela told The Associated Press on Wednesday that prosecutors have decided Maxwell would be held for another week without bond until his first court hearing Feb. 9.

Authorities said Maxwell was in Aruba with colleagues from a real estate company celebrating sales achievements. Police said he hailed a cab from a night club on the last night of his trip and was headed to his hotel in the capital of Oranjestad late Saturday when he asked taxi driver Grace Angela to first stop at a pharmacy.

Police said Maxwell then refused to get out of the cab and started shouting and hitting Angela in the face as he threatened to rape her. Authorities said she got out of the cab and Maxwell followed her and continued to hit her until he got into the taxi and fled, running over Angela's torso and leg.

Angela remains hospitalized with seven broken ribs, a broken nose and wounds on her legs, authorities said.

Defense attorney Chris Lejuez told the AP that Maxwell does not remember much of what happened.

"He did consume alcohol, but that does not explain what may have triggered his actions," Lejuez said.

Jeremy Coburn, an official with Networth Realty of Austin where Maxwell works, said he could not immediately comment on the case.

The New York Times profiled Maxwell last March in a story about former U.S. military members who were voluntarily fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The story said Maxwell served as a Marine in Iraq in 2006 and was responsible in part for guarding the president at Camp David and training troops. The story said he was honorably discharged in 2011 then voluntarily returned to Iraq in late 2014 to join Kurdish security forces.

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Associated Press writer Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed to this report.