Suspected serial rapist arraigned in Inkster

INKSTER, Mich. – A suspected serial rapist was arraigned Wednesday in Inkster in what appears to be his last arraignment in a series of cases across the metro area.

Ikeie Ranordo Smith, 32, of Redford Township, is charged with first-degree home invasion and assault with intent to do great bodily harm in connection to a case that occurred in Inkster.

Smith allegedly broke into a woman's home in Inkster on Aug. 23, 2011 and hit the woman in the face several times before fleeing the home.

Police say it was Smith who climbed into an apartment window at the Caterbury Woods Apartments and a woman woke up to Smith lying on top of her. She screamed and police said Smith hit her multiple times.

Police said a cigarette butt was found on the bed and his DNA matched to it.

"This is one of several warrants that we have charged on this defendant in the last two weeks," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "The allegations in these cases show that this defendant was a one man crime spree who victimized with impunity for a long time until now." 

Charges across Metro Detroit

Smith was charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of first-degree home invasion stemming from an assault on July 6 in Allen Park.

He is charged with home invasion and one count of criminal sexual conduct in connection to an incident in Dearborn Heights on Dec. 9, 2013. A second warrant is under review by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

Smith was  also charged in cases from Dearborn, Redford Township and Garden City.

The Dearborn charges include two counts of first-degree home invasion in cases from Aug. 10, 2013 and Aug. 13, 2015.

The Redford Township charges include two counts of home invasion, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and armed robbery. The charges stem from incidents in 2014 and 2016.

The Garden City charges include one count of first-degree home invasion, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Smith is being held at the Wayne County Jail.

Details of case

Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad addressed the community Monday, detailing the arrest of the suspected serial rapist and the case against the man.

"I appreciate the public's support and patience while we continue this investigation," Haddad said. "Investigations of this type are complicated and time consuming and, while it is important to notify the public of current events, it is most important that we do not do anything to compromise the investigation."

The chief said a pattern was noticed in home invasions near the border between Dearborn and Allen Park in July 2015. The home invasions involved some sort of completed or attempted sexual assault. Neighboring jurisdictions had received several more incidents which appeared to be similar.

Haddad said at least three of the cases happened in Dearborn.

A multi-jurisdictional task force was created in November 2015 involving police departments in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Allen Park, Redford Township, Inkster and Garden City, as well as the Michigan State Police, FBI, MDOC and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

The FBI behavioral scientists labeled the suspect as a “power reassurance rapist.”

“There’s no more power he holds over the people,” Haddad said. “I can assure you he’ll be in jail for a long time.”

Surveillance video of a suspect in the backyard of a Livonia home helped in naming a person of interest.

“This particular nightmare that has plagued our community and our region for a long time is over,” Haddad said.

Authorities believe there are a minimum of 35 cases in the region they suspect Smith is responsible for.

Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also spoke at the news conference.

“In our region, law enforcement comes together time and time again without borders,” O’Reilly said. “Crime doesn’t care about boundaries.”

Worthy explained that warrant packages have only been submitted from Garden City and Redford Township, but that more charges are expected as more warrant packages arrive at her office.

Timeline

The Dearborn Police Department released a timeline of events related to the serial rapes and home invasions across the region. 

Background

According to police, Smith was arrested in connection with a series of home invasions and sexual assaults across the metro area.

Police said the incidents date back to 2011 and involve at least eight jurisdictions.

Smith was arrested Tuesday by Dearborn police within a mile of where a number of the home invasions occurred, police said.

Authorities were waiting on DNA results from Michigan State Police that may link the man to an extraordinary number of cases.

"The arrest of this suspect will hopefully provide closure to our victims and it is important to note that all members of this task force have expended an enormous amount of resources and energy into this investigation," Haddad said. "This collaborative effort along with citizen cooperation has resulted in a very dangerous predator being taken off the streets."

The FBI, MSP, Livonia Police Department, Dearborn Police Department and a number of other police agencies across the metro area participated in the investigation.

Painful flashback

Local 4 spoke to a sexual assault victim who says the description of Smith matches the man who attacked her in 2012.

The woman was just a teen at the time of the attack. She said a man came into her Dearborn Heights home when her mother was at work and attacked her while she was in her bedroom.

"He said if I moved he'd kill me," she said about the attack. "It's just really scary."

The woman said she was able to escape the man, but her mother says the memory of the attack still lingers.

"We have all the windows blocked with something still," the victim's mother said. "It's been four years since that happened and it still lingers. It's horrible."

Stay with Local 4 and ClickonDetroit.com as more information becomes available.

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