Teen Faces Carjacking, Kidnapping, Rape Charges In Attack On Dearborn Woman
DEARBORN (WWJ) - A 17-year-old Detroit boy is facing some very serious charges that could put him behind bars for life after authorities say he abducted, attacked and robbed a Dearborn woman.
Ezra Rodriguez Jr. was arraigned Wednesday in Dearborn's 19th District Court on several charges, including carjacking, kidnapping, armed robbery, criminal sexual conduct and felony firearm.
Rodriquez is currently being held on a $1 million bond, and is due back in court for a preliminary exam on May 1.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. According to police, Rodriguez allegedly had his weapon drawn when he approached a woman in her vehicle, demanded her wallet and forced her into the passenger seat. He then took control of the vehicle, police said, and drove to several different locations.
Police say the woman was eventually able to escape at Patton Park in Detroit, located near Vernor and Dix, where she called for help. Shortly there after, police located the woman's vehicle in the area of Michigan Avenue and Livernois, but the driver -- Rodriguez -- refused to stop for officers. Police later located the vehicle abandoned near Livernois and Otis in Detroit.
Rodriguez was arrested Tuesday evening, a week after the attack, following an exhaustive campaign that included blanketing neighborhoods around Dearborn and Detroit with fliers including a sketch depicting the perpetrator.
"I would like to thank the members of our community who stood together to assist the victim and kept vigilant to provide the information that assisted in the identification and arrest of this individual," Police Chief Ronald Haddad said in a statement. "After a warrant was obtained, Dearborn's Special Operations officers monitored the suspect around-the-clock and formulated an arrest plan with our partners in the US Marshals Service to safely apprehend the suspect."
An investigation is ongoing.
