A Detroit teenager who police say was held captive for about 10 days in a boarded-up house on the city’s west side is back home after what investigators describe as a harrowing escape. According to Detroit police, the girl initially left her home on her own, later ended up with a man they describe as a stranger, and detectives are now trying to piece together how that encounter turned into days of captivity and how she managed to get away.
Wayne County prosecutors, cited by FOX 2 Detroit, say the teen was kept in filth inside a home with boarded-up windows and no doorknobs, and that the alleged abuse continued on several of the days she was held. Lisa Coyle of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office described the suspect as forcibly restraining and assaulting the girl while she screamed, and prosecutors say he threatened to hurt her family to keep her quiet. According to that report, the defendant allegedly kept knives by his bedside and ultimately allowed the girl to leave only after seeing that she had been posted as a missing person on social media.
Court and jail records identify the suspect as Ronnell Agee, with a public inmate record listing a date of birth of Jan. 4, 1989. Wayne County Sheriff’s inmate records show multiple bookings for assault and weapons-related offenses and note a personal tether bond. The 36th District Court docket also lists prior felonious assault and weapons cases tied to Agee, documenting earlier court appearances related to those matters.
Police response
In a statement to FOX 2 Detroit, Detroit Police Commander Rebecca McKay said detectives from the Major Crimes Unit will “investigate and follow any and all leads that get us to a point where we can file charges.” McKay also warned that officers can and will track down people who harbor runaway teens and stressed that missing-children reports are vetted thoroughly by the department…