Pioneer High School student remains in juvenile detention in attempted jogger attack
A Pioneer High School student charged with attempting to rape a jogger behind Slauson Middle School will remain in custody as he awaits a pretrial hearing next month, a judge ordered today.
The 16-year-old boy is charged as a juvenile with assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct involving sexual penetration, Ann Arbor police Det. Bill Stanford said.
He will be tried in juvenile court and, if convicted, could be sentenced to remain in state custody up to age 21.
The boy was in shackles as two detention officers led him into a courtroom for a brief hearing this afternoon in Washtenaw County Juvenile Court.
His mother sat next to him, put her arm around him and gave him a kiss. She and three others who attended the hearing declined to comment.
Ann Arbor police say the boy tackled a 23-year-old woman as she was jogging about 8:40 p.m. Aug. 20 on West Washington Street, took her to the ground in a grassy area and attempted to take off her jogging pants.
The victim, who is a graduate student instructor at the University of Michigan, bit one of the boy's fingers and yelled at him, scaring him away, police said.
The boy, who was scheduled to enter his junior year at Pioneer High, was arrested Aug. 22 after police received a tip.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at leehiggins@annarbor.com or 734-623-2527.
Comments
Josh
Sat, Mar 6, 2010 : 12:05 a.m.
I was locked up in Juvenile Detention with the boy involved in this case. He says he was hopped up on drugs at the time. When sober he is a very nice kid. I hope the best for him and hope he gets treatment for his addictions. Its cases like this that make me rethink my opinion on drugs.
livinginA@
Tue, Sep 1, 2009 : 10:11 a.m.
To clarify more, Juveniles do not have a closed record. Any crime they are fingerprinted for goes to the state police and are open records. The news can't publish their name in the newspaper because they are juveniles, but a background search of a persons name will show up!!!!!
bunnyabbot
Mon, Aug 31, 2009 : 11:54 p.m.
Just to provide some further clarification - a juvenile cannot be waived to the adult system for this offense. ~well perhaps he SHOULD. The cops found him quickly, most likely due to past encounters with him (although as a juvie he would have no record the news could report). furthermore, sex offenders CANNOT be rehibilitated. Sexual gratification/pleasure is so basic to animals. The urges might be hidden but they are only dormant. If they don't molest/fondle/rape etc they will have pent up rage that will cause them to act out with hitting/beating/smashing (like some caged monkey) A sex offender will just repeat at sometime, they are a ticking timebomb. As a society we should be pretected from this. Additionally, "stranger" rape might not be that common. But boys like this often are men like this, if they don't rape a strange woman than they are one of those guys dating, boyfriends or husbands that bully their women into sex. Additionally first time sex offenders are only that because they got caught that first time that anyone knows about. ONE time sex offenders don't exsist either, it's just the one time they got caught, there are still all the other times they didn't get caught. There is no reason why society should give a second chance to a sex offender. That second chance screws up another innocent life.
JLange
Mon, Aug 31, 2009 : 7:38 a.m.
Just to provide some further clarification - a juvenile cannot be waived to the adult system for this offense. It is not a failing on the part of the district attorney (et.al.), but rather it is outlined in Michigan Statute. If you find that faulty, go to the Supreme Court and take it up there.
Peter Eckstein
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 9:25 p.m.
Some women are indeed capable of fighting off rapists, provided that there is only one at a time, that they are not overly strong, and that the female is not too young or too old to protect herself. There is nothing sexist in the observation that males are generally more muscular than females of the same age and background, and that many rapists choose to attack females who are especially vulnerable. I just hope that this case does not get assigned to a local judge who seems unwilling to mete out serious punishment to criminals. Name on request. Peter Eckstein
Ryan Munson
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 7:37 p.m.
"Women in our community deserve and need to be protected from aggression and predators, regardless of the perpetrators' age." Hm. I think that's a continuation of a nationally accepted stereotype that women are susceptible and incapable of protecting themselves.
kenUM
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 11:10 a.m.
When is Michigan's court system finally going to deal seriously with juvenile offenders? 63Townie asks the million dollar question that many are asking! And this problem is not unique to Michigan. Nationally the Juvenile Justice system has failed everyone of us......including Juveniles. What deterrent to crime does the Juvenile justice system provide these offenders? Unfortunately, it appears to take an act of extreme violence to get a Juvenile locked up. When ask about this; the immediate answer that Judges and Magistrates jump on is the issue of "State Law", limiting the actions of the Court. It is my belief (as a Police Officer) that if Juvenile offenders were dealt with in a more extreme manner for offenses; then perhaps the adult prison population would not be the size that it is today. This individual needs, or rather we as a society need him to be locked up and off the streets. While he is locked up (and lets not fancy up the meaning of locked up) he would be eligible for Mental Health services to deter this behavior. Now, don't get me wrong; I do not believe that this will "cure" him, and as proof; if we review the original article the victim stated that after she bit his finger and yelled at him, his response was "YOU AREN'T GOING TO CALL THE POLICE ARE YOU?" this tells me that he knew exactly what he was doing at the time. I do not like to think of an alternative ending to this situation, if the victim had not been able to fight him off.
a2gerry
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 8:25 a.m.
This is appalling that the district attorney has chosen to prosecute a predator like this as a juvenile. It smacks of a double standard. If this teen was from Ypsilanti I have no doubt that he would be charged as an adult. Since he comes from the area of the attack, no doubt from a good family, he is being charged as a juvenile. This community needs protection from a predator like him far past his 19th birthday.
63Townie
Sat, Aug 29, 2009 : 6:36 a.m.
When is Michigan's court system finally going to deal seriously with juvenile offenders? Nathaniel Abraham and the recent murders in Detroit beg for tougher sentences. Especially that little creep who murdered Matthew Landry. Saw him on the news last night smirking and smiling at Landry's devastated parents. The courts need to stop treating juvenile offenders in crimes such as this (rape and murder) as somebody who can be rehabilitated. Attempted rape is not a "mistake". It's a sign of a sexual predator who should not be on the streets. Too bad castration in not a cure.
missmynewspaper
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 11:33 p.m.
This adolescent attempted to perpetrate a violent crime. It is likely that he has a history and pattern of conduct problems and various antisocial activities. Unfortunately, there is no form of psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy which has been consistently successful in reducing sociopathy. Women in our community deserve and need to be protected from aggression and predators, regardless of the perpetrators' age. I hope that the juvenile judge acts wisely when weighing the appropriate consequences for this frightening young man. I want my daughters, and all women, to be safe on the streets of Ann Arbor.
AJACK
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 9:09 p.m.
I don't think it's a binary decision. I'm sad about this kid and he needs help for sure. He also needs to be judged by the courts because the crime is serious. But, in the US we warehouse criminals and they don't often get better. Then they're back on the streets.
shawnsbrain
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 8:45 p.m.
Susan,you can't be serious. If the story is factually correct this is a classic predator. How would you "help" him? If you were the victim. would you help in the same ways?
Billy
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 7:49 p.m.
"That kid needs mental help, not incarceration. Unfortunate." You couldn't be more wrong and confused. If he is not the type of individual that we incarcerate, then who is?
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 5:50 p.m.
Either way, Ann Arbor's population needs him off the streets for a long time. I think the people of Ann Arbor count for a little more in this equation.
susan
Fri, Aug 28, 2009 : 4:42 p.m.
That kid needs mental help, not incarceration. Unfortunate.