Squatter living at crime scene says he saw abducted woman's escape

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Detroit man facing charges for abducting and sexually assaulting a woman appeared in court Wednesday, as the man living in the house where the crimes occurred gave his account.

Alex Moore, 46, is accused of abducting a woman from a parking lot, then holding her hostage for days while he raped and beat her.

Police say Moore brought his victim to a home at the corner of Schoolcraft and Hartwell on Thursday evening, torturing and sexually assaulting her. On Saturday, he took off in her SUV. Once he left, she bravely jumped out of the back window to escape.

Brian White, who lives at the home where the crime occurred, gave FOX 2 his account of what happened.

"I see the truck in the driveway," he said. "I didn't know it was hers. I just remembered seeing a truck. All I know is that, when I heard that glass break down here, I came downstairs to investigate what was going on and she was climbing out of that back bedroom window back there."

White said he and Moore had been squatting in the two family flat for quite some time.

He lives upstairs, and Moore stays on the lower level.

White says police questioned and released him, and swears he knew nothing of the crime.

"My DNA test came back negative," he said. "I didn't even know that girl was down here."

White also said he heard about accusations involving Moore.

"Accusations had been going around in this neighborhood that he was a rapist," he said.

Moore will be back in court in December.

The victim, a 54-year-old woman, was listed in critical condition over the weekend.

Residents in the area say this is a problem they have complained about, and nothing has been done.

"They've been squatting out that house since I can remember," one resident said.

"They squatting, they don't pay no bills and they're taking over people's houses, and it's not right. It's not right," another resident said.

Police say they also found guns and other weapons inside the house.

White says he knows nothing of that either.

"I mean, maybe it was hidden somewhere."

White brought out paperwork saying he has been trying to gain ownership of the property.

Meanwhile, Moore is being held on a $200,000 bond.