Ex-city official charged

Former Waynesboro City Councilman and “community icon” DuBose Egleston Jr. has been charged with the attempted rape of a woman half his age, city police said Saturday.

Waynesboro police arrested Egleston, 55, after a 27-year-old woman reported that the eight-time council candidate sexually assaulted her Friday at her home. Sgt. Kelly Walker described the alleged victim and Egleston as acquaintances.

The woman made the report at about 5 p.m. and police issued a warrant for Egleston’s arrest six hours later.

Egleston was apprehended without incident, Walker said, and later released on a $10,000 secure bond. Magistrate office records did not indicate if Egleston paid that amount or worked with a bail bondsmen.

Egleston could not be reached at his home or by phone Saturday.

Widely known for his involvement in a half-dozen city agencies and dedicated volunteering at another dozen community events, Egleston is a “loyal servant” who puts service above self, said YMCA Executive Director Jeff Fife.

“He’s been a longstanding servant to the city,” he said. “DuBose is a community icon.”

“He knows everybody and everybody knows him,” Mayor Tim Williams said. “He’s been a contributor to our community for a long time. It’s just a very unfortunate turn of events. I’m saddened.”

Egleston served one term on Waynesboro City Council, from 1998 to 2002, and has run unsuccessfully seven other times.

“Through the years that I’ve known DuBose, he’s always worked very hard to understand what was going on in the city,” said former Vice Mayor Reo B. Hatfield, a frequent Egleston political foe. “He put a lot of effort into it. We didn’t always come to the same conclusions when we did do these studies. But he put a special effort into it from his perspective, which I think is commendable.”

In 25 years, Egleston has missed just a handful of city council meetings, he told The News Virginian in a pre-election profile last year. He is a regular at school board meetings and those held by other city commissions, Mayor Williams said.

“He never misses a meeting. He’s very informed,” he said.

If there is a community event or commission, Egleston is involved, officials said. He has been part of the Planning Commission, Flood Commission, Disability Services Board and Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. Board of Directors. And The News Virginian last year named him to its River City 2020 economic visioning panel.

Crisscrossing town in his red pickup truck adorned in computer-printed signs, Egleston helped at the farmer’s market and events such as the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival.

In campaigns, he advocated youth activities, additional library hours and streetscape completion.

“This community better because DuBose is here,” Councilwoman Lorie Smith said. “We all have difficulties in our lives and I’m sure he will rise above this.”

Egleston is single and self-employed. He is expected in court this week.

Attempted rape is a Class 4 felony punishable by a prison sentence of two to 10 years.