Abdullah Woodward appeals from the judgment entered after a jury found him guilty of rape and statutory rape. Woodward claims the trial court erred in admitting similar transaction evidence, in having a discussion in chambers when he was not present, and in allowing the State to introduce evidence that he used drugs and possessed a firearm. For reasons that follow, we conclude there was no reversible error and affirm. The evidence at trial, taken in the light most favorable to the verdict was that the victim, C.J., who was 13 at the time, walked to a recreation center on the evening in question with a friend. At some point in the evening, C.J. went to look for her friend and found her in the parking lot talking to some young men in a car. The friend insisted they get in the car so they could have a ride home. C.J. got in the car, but the men did not take the girls home. They drove instead to a house and parked. C.J. said her friend talked her into going inside. Her friend did not go inside, however, stating that she had to go out to the car for a minute. After C.J. got inside, one of the young men came up to her and said, “Your friend did exactly what we wanted her to do.” C.J. said one of the young men held her hands and one held her feet and another one, whom she identified as Woodward, raped her. C.J. said that after the rape, the men released her and left the room. She ran outside, screaming for help and they grabbed her and brought her back inside. She said Woodward was attempting to rape her again, when the police arrived. When they heard the police, the men in the house all scattered and ran out the back door. The victim ran out when she saw the officers and told them what happened. The officers went around to the back of the house and were able to capture Woodward and one other man.
A neighbor who lived next door to the house in which the rape took place testified that he saw the car pull up in front of the house next door. He became alarmed when he saw three men and a girl go into the house, because he said the girl looked “very apprehensive about going in.” He said there was a slight struggle at the door before the men pulled her in. The neighbor said he went to get his cell phone because he was afraid something was wrong and then went back outside. He stated that after about 15 minutes, the girl came running outside, screaming. She appeared disoriented and her clothing was torn. The neighbor called 911. The neighbor identified the boys the police arrested as the ones who went into the house with the girl.
