Two men have been charged with sexually assaulting vulnerable women in separate cases in Anoka County.

Thomas P. Foster, 21, of Minneapolis is accused of assaulting a mentally impaired woman in her Fridley apartment, according to charges filed last month. His trial is set for Oct. 10.

In the other case, Robert D. Snyder, 56, of Coon Rapids was charged with assaulting a 45-year-old woman with Down syndrome. He drove a bus for Rise Inc., an organization that works with the disabled. He is accused of assaulting her on the bus. His next court hearing is Monday.

According to the charges against Foster, he was asked by the woman's ex-boyfriend to check on her because they had broken up. He ended up staying with the woman and her roommates at the Fridley apartment. He gained their trust by telling them he was a police officer in Wyoming and a Minnesota firefighter, according to the charges.

When the woman's roommates left the apartment on May 13, Foster sexually assaulted her, the charges said. The woman told a roommate about the assault about a half-hour later.

Snyder was fired in December by Rise Inc. after the company conducted an internal investigation and gave its information to the Anoka County Sheriff's Office. He is accused of assaulting the woman when she was alone on the bus.

Rise Inc. has routing software that shows idle time for drivers. Snyder couldn't explain a 10-minute stop when the woman was the only other person on the bus, the charges said. Another instance noted a much longer stop than usual in front of the woman's residence.

Snyder told supervisors he helped push a vehicle out of the snow. Snyder had fled to Phoenix, according to the charges, but has since returned to Minnesota and made his first court appearance.

Foster is charged with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct and Snyder with felony fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

DAVID CHANEN