Hamtramck kidnapping suspect due in court after girl rescued at Detroit gas station

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Donald Fields (Hamtramck Police)

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Hamtramck girl who was waiting for a school bus is due in court Thursday.

Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields, 48, is scheduled to appear for a preliminary examination at 8 a.m.

Field was charged last month with kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felonious assault, three counts of felony firearm, and felon in possession of a firearm. He is charged as a third-time habitual offender.

The backstory:

Authorities say the 16-year-old victim, who is a student at Frontier International Academy, was waiting for a bus around 7:05 a.m. April 13 in the area of Edwin and Brombach streets in Hamtramck when Fields allegedly approached her, put a handgun to her back, and forced her into a van. Another student who witnessed this encounter contacted police.

The victim was allegedly sexually assaulted inside the suspect's vehicle.

Police who went to the victim's school met with students who were tracking her cell phone location. Officers were able to use this information to track the victim to a gas station in the 18000 block of Conant Street in Detroit, where Fields went inside with the victim to have her buy cigarettes for him.

Police said the victim signaled to the cashier that she was in danger, and the clerk was able to help her. At that point, Fields left and was detained by police, who had arrived at the gas station by using the victim's phone location.

During his arraignment, Judge Alexis Krot called him the "ultimate" risk to the community, and remanded him to the Wayne County Jail.