An employee with the City of Austin was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman, robbing her and dragging her with his work truck, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Austin police said Corie Cornist, 31, was on the clock with the City of Austin Water Department when the assaults occurred on Sunday. He has since been charged with sexual assault and robbery, records with the Travis County Jail show.
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The investigation began when police responded to a welfare check in Southeast Austin, where they found a woman bleeding from a “bad leg and hip injury,” and it appeared that her hip had been broken.
She told police that she had been dragged by a vehicle, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. She was then taken to a hospital by ambulance.
Police spoke with a witness at the scene and reviewed surveillance footage that revealed the woman was physically assaulted by the male driver and dragged.
The surveillance video also showed that the man forcibly grabbed something, possibly a phone, away from the woman.
While police were at the scene, Cornist approached an officer, identified himself as a city employee, and asked if something had happened.
The officer believed Cornist knew something about the incident, and Cornist ended up stating that he was involved, the affidavit states.
He told police that he picked up the woman and drove her to the park, the affidavit states. He said she “began acting strangely” and dropped her off.
He said he drove his work truck back to Austin Water’s Webberville Road facility and returned in his personal vehicle.
Officers later spoke with the woman at the hospital. She said she was walking when a large white truck pulled over and the driver, identified as Cornist, asked if she needed a ride, police said.
She was sexually assaulted after she got into the vehicle, the affidavit states.
The woman was able to exit the truck and run away with her phone and purse.
She tried to call for help but the suspect drove up to her, got out of the truck, pushed her down and took her phone, police said.
The woman said she reached into the truck to get her phone but the driver rolled up the window, catching her hands. The truck dragged her but she was eventually freed from the window and ran over by the truck.
Cornist told police that he knew he was dragging her “but he didn’t stop,” the affidavit states.
Records show that Cornist was supposed to be working in Southwest Austin, but GPS pinged him to the area of the sexual assault. He didn’t clock out after returning to the facility and did not notify his supervisor that he left, the affidavit states.
Austin Water has since released the following statement to CBS Austin:
Austin Water is aware of the criminal investigation regarding Corie D. Cornist, who was taken into police custody on Friday. Mr. Cornist was placed on leave immediately. As a fair chance employer, the City will take the appropriate steps pending the outcome of the investigation.
Jail records show Cornist was arrested later that day.
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