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LAYTON — Police have arrested a door-to-door magazine salesman who they say raped a woman in her home.
David Allen Smith, 29, was booked into the Davis County Jail Friday for investigation of rape and burglary.
On Aug. 29, Smith went to a woman's house in Layton and tried to sell her a magazine subscription, said Layton Police Lt. Garret Atkin. The woman, 24, told the man she wasn't interested. But he then asked if he could get a drink of water.
As she turned to get a glass of water, Smith followed her inside, Atkin said. When the woman turned back to give him the drink, Smith grabbed her and raped her, he said. The woman was believed to have called police within 30 minutes.
On Friday, Layton police received several calls from annoyed citizens about magazine salespeople in their area. Atkin said the group wasn't breaking any laws, but officers responded, hoping they might find clues into the rape case.
Based on a description, detectives determined a man who had been with that group on Aug. 29 was someone they wanted to question. They found out he was in Logan on that day selling subscriptions.
Officers found him in Logan and arrested him after he was interviewed, Atkin said.
Smith is not from Utah, but Atkin did not know Tuesday where he was from, noting that he appeared to live from hotel room to hotel room.
As of Tuesday, there was no evidence to suggest there are other victims in Utah, the lieutenant said.
As a safety tip, Atkin said residents — including children — should remember they're under no obligation to open or unlock a door for someone such as a door-to-door salesman. And if the salesman won't go away, "It's OK to close the door and lock it behind you, even if it's rude," he said.
