The 20-year-old from Western Washington man accused of raping a Washington State University student in Pullman has been charged.
The Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office recently charged Elijah Nivar with felony 2nd degree rape in Whitman County Superior Court. Nivar is accused of raping a woman inside her Pullman home in May of last year. According to court documents the alleged victim and Nivar had a previous relationship that ended in November of 2020. Nivar is a former WSU student.
Nivar was arrested on a warrant by Pullman Police in his hometown of Bonney Lake last July. Officers drove him to the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office Jail in Colfax where he was initially booked on 1st degree felony rape. Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey released Nivar on his own recognizance without bond during his first court appearance last summer. Nivar’s mother told Judge Libey that he would be living with her in Bonney Lake and that she would ensure that he appears in court. Nivar’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Formal charges weren’t filed until last month to give authorities more time to investigate the case.
