(WWJ) – Rashad Trice, the 26-year-old Detroit man accused of kidnapping 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith, is facing a long list of charges in connection with the day he allegedly took her.
Trice, the ex-boyfriend of the toddler’s mother, was arraigned Wednesday on multiple charges – including two counts of first-degree sexual assault – for attacking the woman at a Lansing apartment on Sunday, before the alleged kidnapping.
In addition to the criminal sexual conduct charges, Trice was also charged with one count each of attempted murder, first-degree home invasion, unlawful imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence (second offense), unlawful driving away of an automobile and felonious assault.
He was charged as a violent habitual fourth offender and is being held without bond. He remained in the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before news broke later in the day that Wynter's body had been found on Detroit's east side.
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Prosecutors say the “brutal physical and sexual assault” happened on Sunday at the woman’s apartment on Beaujardin Drive in Lansing.
No charges have been filed in relation to Wynter’s disappearance, as the search for the toddler entered its third day.
FBI agents and police officers from multiple agencies on Wednesday were searching the median along I-96. FBI officials were searching late Wednesday in Detroit, ultimately leading to the discovery of her body. No further details have been released.
A spokeswoman for the FBI told WWJ the search near Williamston late Wednesday afternoon is one of several locations being searched in hopes of finding the girl who has been missing since late Sunday night. Trice drove from Lansing to Detroit early Monday morning. A route released by authorities showed Trice driving along I-96 from Lansing to Metro Detroit.
Prosecutors said the investigation as to any additional charges related to her disappearance is ongoing.
The FBI is offering a reward of $25,000 for tips that help authorities find the toddler. Sharen Eddings, the girl’s maternal grandmother, told WWJ’s Charlie Langton the family is holding out hope she will be found and they are pleading with the community for help.
"We're hoping to find her, you know, of course the scenario we would love if somebody were to have her,” she said. “We wouldn't, we don't, that's the best scenario, right? But all we can think about is just getting out looking and so we're going to go out and search the Southfield Lathrup area.”
Trice’s next court date is scheduled for July 13.
“While law enforcement continues to search for Wynter Cole-Smith, our office urges our community to report anything out of the ordinary and resist the spread of inaccurate information. Anyone found to be willfully impeding this investigation could face criminal charges,” officials with the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Authorities are asking anyone who has any information, no matter how small it may seem, to contact the FBI Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Dock Ellis Foundation is coordinating efforts to search for Wynter. The foundation, which focuses on assisting minority missing persons cases across the country, has been working with the family, Lansing Police and the FBI to narrow the search zone. More than 50 people have signed up to help.
Anyone interested in joining the search can reach out to the foundation via email at info@dockellisfoundation.com or visit the Dock Ellis Foundation Facebook page.
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