FLINT (WWJ) – A 36-year-old man is in custody after police in Genesee County discovered he was holding a vulnerable woman against her will and sexually assaulting her for three weeks after grooming her.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson on Wednesday revealed disturbing details of the case that led to the arrest of Michael Barajas on Dec. 8. The sheriff said Barajas had filed his teeth down to points and threatened to bite the victim and rip her throat out during the course of her imprisonment.
Swanson said the week of Thanksgiving a pregnant woman in her early 20s had been kicked out of her house. Barajas spotted her walking on the street, pulled his car up, noticed she was vulnerable and offered her a shower, warmth and a place to stay, according to Swanson.
But once she was inside the home, Barajas allegedly locked her inside a room with an exterior deadbolt and windows screwed shut, Swanson said in a video recorded inside the home.
Barajas not only sexually assaulted the woman, but had other people come over to sexually assault and traffic her, according to the sheriff.
Swanson said the woman, who is undergoing intensive care following the traumatic experience, tried to escape three times. The first time she ran out of an open door during an exchange, but Barajas and other suspects chased her down, fired shots at her and dragged her back into the car.
A second attempted escape also led to her recapture, while a third attempt during a medical emergency at Hurley Hospital stemming from her pregnancy was successful. Swanson said nurses noticed she was in danger and called police.
The Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) was deployed on Dec. 8 and rescued the victim and arrested Barajas.
“Barajas threatened that if she didn’t do everything that he told her to do that he would bite her neck and rip out her throat,” Swanson said. “I know this is crude and I know it’s disturbing, but I tell you these details because I want it to settle in that GHOST is here to find people like this and hold them accountable.”
Barajas is facing a long list of charges, including multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, home invasion.
“The amount of charges, the felonies that we stacked on him allowed him to be charged and also he’s in jail on a $250,000 cash bond,” Swanson said.
The sheriff says the investigation is still ongoing and authorities are asking for tips finding the other suspects. Anyone who knows something about the crime or any known associates of Barajas is being asked to call 9-1-1 or 810-257-3422.
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