DETROIT (WWJ) -- A Detroit man has been charged with rape and armed robbery six years after he allegedly attacked a teenager who was walking home from work.
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against 41-year-old Lionel Wells after an investigation by detectives from the Prosecutor’s Sexual Assault Kit Task Force.
Authorities say the victim, now 24 years old, was 17 when she was raped and robbed at gunpoint on Detroit’s east side in October of 2014.
Wells was arraigned on two counts of First-Degree Sexual Conduct, one count of Kidnapping, and one count of Armed Robbery in 36th District Court on Tuesday. Bond was set at $350,000 cash/surety with the condition he have no contact with the complaining witness if he is released.
The task force was set up 12 years ago and has since been involved in 224 sexual assault convictions.
"I am proud of the years of important work that we and all out collaborators have done in testing, investigating, and prosecuting Detroit’s and Michigan’s stockpiled sexual assault kits. We have consistently made sure that our approach has been victim centered, trauma informed, and offender focused. Our victim notification and investigative policies have enabled us to be successful,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy, in a statement.
“As a result of our work, Michigan has become a national model and there has been significant change in Michigan as well."
Worthy noted that the task force's work would not have been possible without a public-private partnership, with support from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, the Wayne County Commission, Michigan Women Forward, and African-American 490.
Wells will be back in court for a Probable Cause Conference scheduled for August 5.
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