Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Hamtramck Abduction Suspect Charged With Kidnapping and First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct

Prosecutors highlight a swift rescue enabled by phone tracking with help from a vigilant clerk.

Overview

  • Wayne County prosecutors charged 48-year-old Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields with kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felonious assault and three felony firearm counts, with an arraignment expected Thursday morning.
  • The case stems from a bus-stop abduction in Hamtramck, where a 16-year-old waiting for school was forced at gunpoint into a van around 7:05 a.m. Monday near Edwin and Brombach streets.
  • Classmates used cellphone location tools to find the teen’s possible whereabouts, which led officers to a Sunoco station at Conant and Nevada in Detroit.
  • Inside the store, the teen mouthed for help to the clerk, who shielded her until Hamtramck police arrived and detained the suspect.
  • Officials say the victim and suspect had no prior connection and the mayor noted Fields has a past record of sexual-assault charges.