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Prosecutors deny warrant request in porta-potty assault case
Officials say on Sept. 2, a 34-year-old Detroit woman went to police and reported that she was sexually assaulted the day prior. She told police that between 9 and 10 p.m., she was forced at gunpoint from her car by an unknown man who took her into a porta-potty in the park and sexually assaulted her.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Wayne County prosecutors denied a warrant request into a sexual assault investigation after police say there were inconsistencies with the evidence.
The warrant in the case, which started after a woman alleged she had been raped in a porta-john at a Detroit park at gunpoint, was rejected due to insufficient evidence, the prosecutor's office said.
The backstory:
Officials say on Sept. 2, a 34-year-old Detroit woman went to police and reported that she was sexually assaulted the day prior. She told police that between 9 and 10 p.m., she was forced at gunpoint from her car by an unknown man who took her into a porta-potty in the park and sexually assaulted her.
Police learned about the assault on social media after the victim started posting about the incident.
The suspect fled the scene on foot while the victim went to the hospital and received a rape kit. She did not call police, who instead started an investigation after noting her posts online.
After starting the investigation, they located a single casing of a firearm in the area where the woman was assaulted and a technician processed the scene. A suspect was originally taken into custody.
The latest:
On Tuesday, the prosecutor's office announced they would not pursue charges in the case.
The Special Victim's Unit said it had reviewed the evidence from police and decided against bringing charges due to "insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
During their investigation, officials learned the woman was promised money by the suspect in return for sex and the suspect did not pay her. Police say the incident will remain under investigation as they have also learned the suspect allegedly has a history of targeting women on escort sites, promising to pay for sexual favors, not doing so, instead, and sexually assaulting the women.
"If we find these allegations to be true we will be submitting an Investigator's Report to the WCPO for review," police said.
The Source: Previous reporting and a press release from Wayne County prosecutors was cited for this story.
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