County grand jury sends up charges
By Lee Williams
Published in News on April 8, 2007 2:01 AM
A convicted sex offender accused in a rape and in sexual assaults on several women will soon have his day in court.
Rodney Levon Williams, 35, of Frank Street, was indicted by the Wayne County Grand Jury Monday on 22 charges including first-degree rape and kidnapping, common law robbery, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault by strangulation.
Williams, who was convicted of an indecent exposure charge that occurred in September 2005, has now been charged in multiple sexual assault cases involving several local women.
One assault inflicting serious bodily injury charge Williams was indicted on Monday was lodged by a woman who claimed he took her to a baseball dugout in Peacock Park off Herring Street, injured her jaw, stole her purse and left her in the park, according to court records.
The woman was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital by an ambulance after the Oct. 10 incident.
While at Wayne Memorial Hospital, the victim told police a man picked her up on George Street in a older white Chevrolet Lumina about 8 a.m. that day, took her to Peacock Park and she later woke up with injuries.
The woman told police she did not know the suspect, but described him as a black man in his 30s with a bald head. He also wore glasses, she said.
Justin Wiggs, who encountered the victim shortly after the assault, and also allegedly spotted and spoke to the suspect, reported the incident to police. Wiggs picked Williams out of a photo lineup, police said.
However, Williams gave a different account of events to police.
Williams said he picked the victim up after agreeing to pay her $15 for sexual favors. He left her at the dugout, but returned later for her.
He told police he encountered Wiggs and spoke to him. He then went home and took a shower.
Williams was accused of exposing himself inside his vehicle while he stared at a YMCA bus driver at Peacock Park in July 2006. The driver reported the incident, but declined to press charges, police said.
Police collected a sampling of physical evidence from Williams. They also executed a search warrant on his Chevrolet Lumina.
Williams is still being held in connection with this case and several sexual assault cases in the Wayne County Jail on a $550,000 bond.
Williams' case is one of 45 true bills the grand jury returned during its monthly session Monday.
The grand jury also returned 19 true bills for various drug charges, four for breaking and entering, two each for various assault and robbery charges and one each for driving while intoxicated and a bomb threat.