Detroit police say a man is in custody accused of forcing a woman into a park porta-potty at gunpoint and raping her.
The incident happened just before 10 p.m. on September 1 near St. Martins and Pinehurst on the city’s west side. Investigators say the suspect approached the woman with a firearm and demanded she enter the porta-potty. When she refused he fired a round into the ground before forcing her inside and assaulting her.
The victim later went to the hospital for a rape kit but did not immediately report the crime to police. Instead she posted about it on social media. Detectives saw the post and followed up. At the park they recovered a spent shell casing and confirmed ShotSpotter technology had picked up the sound of a suppressed gunshot in the area.
Through investigation police identified a suspect and the woman picked him out of a photo lineup. Detectives moved in and made the arrest.
Charges of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the First Degree are expected in the coming days. Neither the suspect nor the victim has been publicly identified at this time.
