The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Rape suspects arraigned on numerous charges
Suspects allegedly raped and robbed two women Jan. 17
By Kathleen Conatand Austen Smith, Heritage Newspapers
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007
Two suspects in an Ypsilanti rape and robbery are now lodged in the Wayne County Jail without bond on charges from a similar incident in Van Buren Township.
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David Allen Patillo, 17, and Brian Carlos Westbrook II, 18, both of Van Buren Township, were arraigned in Wayne County 34th District Court Tuesday morning. Patillo and Westbrook were each charged with six counts of criminal sexual conduct, one count of armed robbery, one count of home invasion in the first degree, one count of kidnapping and one count of larceny.
Cpt. Greg Laurain of the Van Buren Township Police Department said eight of the 10 counts presented carry a life sentence.
Ypsilanti Police Lt. Mark Angott said a 20-year-old Eastern Michigan University student called 911 shortly after midnight Jan. 17 to report she had been robbed. Upon responding to the coin laundry in the 800 block of North Huron Street. officers learned the woman, an employee of the business, also had been raped.
The victim reported two black men had entered the business together and one had produced a silver and black handgun. That suspect forced the woman into a bathroom and raped her while his accomplice stood watch.
The suspects then took a cell phone and a small amount of money from the women, as well as approximately $100 from the cash register. They then fled, although the victim could not tell officers in what direction.
After committing the alleged rape and robbery at the coin laundry in Ypsilanti, the two suspects forced a 25-year-old Van Buren woman from her car at gun point at an apartment complex on Tyler road. Patillo and Westbrook allegedly took the woman up to her apartment raped and robbed her, according to Laurain.
"We had no idea about the Ypsilanti rape until we looked at the reports and saw that the two incidents were similar," Laurain said. "We got with Ypsi PD, and they had a lot of DNA evidence, they were trying to obtain information from that."
Surveillance tape from the scene was instrumental in capturing the alleged rapist. The tape showed the suspect before he pulled a bandana over his face and police recognized him from previous contacts.
Van Buren Township police executed two search warrants on Thursday of last week with the aid of Western Wayne County SWAT. They immediately found Patillo and made the arrest.
"As we were conducting the search (on Patillo) we found belongings from the first victim on the suspect's person," Captain Laurain said.
Captain Laurain said they executed the second search warrant but were unable to locate the Westbrook at first. Police made contact with family members and made it known they were looking for him.
Westbrook turned himself into Van Buren Township Police on Saturday with an attorney present.
When VBT Police had the suspects in custody they were able to extract confessions from both. Laurain praised investigators from Van Buren and Ypsilanti for conducting fast-acting police work.
"All I can do is contribute the arrests to our joint investigative efforts and also to our guys who interviewed both individuals and got confessions."
Patillo and Westbrook were also charged with two unrelated robberies from November 2006. Captain Laurain said they had information and evidence linking the suspects to the robberies of two pizza delivery employees.
Ypsilanti Police Detective Sgt. Troy Fulton said his department was in no hurry to arraign the suspects in Washtenaw County, as they will be arraigned first in Wayne County.
"We're going to build a really solid case on these two," Fulton said.
The victims involved in the alleged rapes did suffered only minor physical injuries.
Kathleen Conat is a long-time Ypsilanti resident and freelance writer for the Courier. She can be reached through editor@ypsilanticourier.com.
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