70-year-old assaulted by sex offender
By John Joyce
Published in News on October 29, 2015 1:46 PM
A registered sex offender, who was on probation after being released from prison in May after serving 12 years for second-degree rape, is in custody today after allegedly sexually assaulting a 70-year-old woman at knifepoint in the 300 block of North Alabama Avenue Wednesday.
Police arrested the suspect when he turned up for an appointment with his probation officer later in the day.
That attack happened at 8:55 a.m.
According to a press release, Melvin Earl Williams, 52, 1608 E. Edgerton St., held a knife to his victim as he assaulted her with his fingers.
The victim fought her way free and Williams fled the scene. She then made her way across the street to a neighbor's house and called 911. Wayne County EMS responded and transported the victim to Wayne Memorial Hospital for treatment and evaluation, the press release said.
Maj. Anthony Carmon said Williams went to his probation appointment willfully, but did not knowingly turn himself in.
"He went there on his own, but he did not know they had a warrant for him," Carmon said.
He said investigators identified Williams -- but he would not say how -- as the suspect throughout the course of their investigation. Williams was arrested without incident and was charged with two counts of first-degree forcible sexual offense. He is currently being held in the Wayne County Detention Center under an $800,000 secured bond. Additional charges are pending.