GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A man is accused of grabbing a 12-year-old girl who was waiting at a Grand Rapids bus stop, dragging her across the street and trying to sexually assault her Tuesday morning, police say.
Calling it a “terrifying case,” Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom praised the girl for doing everything right to fight back and escape unharmed.
“I have to just applaud this 12-year-old girl, who is a hero in my book,” he said. “To her family’s credit, whatever adults are in her life, they taught her exactly what to do, the same thing I teach my kids: You’ve got to yell, you’ve got to fight, you’ve got to run. She got away from this monster.”
Marquis Martinez, 25, now faces charges of attempted second-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.
It happened in the area of Ball Avenue and Bradford Street on Grand Rapids’ northeast side as the girl waited for her bus. The girl’s mother, whose name News 8 is not using to protect the family’s privacy, said that a man approached her daughter just before 6:30 a.m. No one was around as he placed one hand around her and the other over her mouth, the mother said. She said her daughter was then taken to a garden across the street that is slightly set back from the road. The suspect allegedly tried to sexually assault the 12-year-old, but she was able to break free.
Winstrom said that after the girl ran home and her mom called 911, his officers “flooded” the area and got the suspect description out to other emergency responders.
“It was actually the fire department who then received a call, not too long after, that there was a person in the woods that looked like they might need medical attention, and he was likely hiding. And they astutely recognized that he matched the description of this same predator who was trying to rape this 12-year-old girl,” Winstrom said.
Police soon arrived and captured Martinez.
The chief lauded the girl as “brave” and said she “not only defend(ed) herself, but defend(ed) every potential victim.”
“Predators like this, they do not stop,” Winstrom said. “This likely isn’t the first time he’s attempted to sexually assault a child. Definitely if he had not been put in custody, it would not be his last time.”
He said investigators would be looking into other similar reports around the region to see if Martinez could be responsible.
“We want to see this individual off the streets, really, for as long as possible,” he told News 8 Wednesday.
In an email sent to families Tuesday, Grand Rapids Public Schools’ public safety director Larry Johnson urged families to talk with their kids about safety practices “such as staying alert, traveling in groups when possible, and reporting any suspicious activity immediately.” He also encouraged families to take small steps that would enhance their student’s safety, like leaving their porch lights on in the morning.
Danielle Farrey, another parent, told News 8 that her child shares the same bus pickup location.
“Oh, there are like eight squad cars posted on our corner. What is going on?” Farrey recounted. “I actually missed the email and was under the impression that (the district) didn’t get ahold of us. But that’s something that I feel, like as a parent, I would like a phone call. I would like to know that there was an abduction attempt or even a suspicious incident right at my child’s bus stop. I want to know.”
Farrey said she is now having difficult conversations with her own 8-year-old.
“What do we do if someone comes up to you and says, ‘Oh my gosh, I lost my puppy or cat, can you help me come look?’ What do we say?” she said. “Not that you’re not helpful, not that you’re not special but does an adult even need a child’s help? If an adult is having an emergency, they probably have someone who can come and help.”