Hamtramck suspect charged with kidnapping girl from bus stop appears in court

FOX 2 - A 48-year-old man accused of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl from a bus stop in Hamtramck earlier this month, appeared in court Thursday morning.

Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields appeared over Zoom for a probable cause hearing in court.

Fields' bond was continued, and a preliminary exam was scheduled for May 13.

The Hamtramck man has been charged 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.

Fields was remanded to the Wayne County Jail after the judge called him the "ultimate" risk to the community.

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Authorities say the victim, who is a student at Frontier International Academy, was waiting for a bus around 7:05 a.m. 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.