26-year-old Ernest Coleman has been charged in Wayne County, Michigan with the kidnapping of 13-year-old Deontae Mitchell in Detroit. Authorities say that Coleman is only one of four people who were possibly involved in the incident, but thus far, he is the only one who has been formally charged.
According to Detroit Police records, Deontae was abducted late on Tuesday night while out riding bikes with his cousin. According to what his cousin told the police, Deontae picked up money that had been dropped by a man who was urinating outside a market and then he and his cousin rode away.
Because the market building was equipped with surveillance cameras, Detroit police were able to see security footage of Deontae being chased and then grabbed by a man, who then forced him into a dark colored vehicle and drove away.
Autopsy complete but very few details have been released
Deontae’s body was discovered just a few days later, on Thursday, in an overgrown field on Detroit’s east side. The autopsy is complete but very few details have been released. Thus far, all the Wayne County Medical Examiner has shared with the public is the fact that no evidence exists to support a death by gun shot. The actual manner of death however, has not been made public.
Coleman, who is the only one of the four suspects arrested who has been arraigned, is charged with kidnapping. Under Michigan law, kidnapping is a capital felony punishable by up to life in prison, or any number of years, and fines of up to $50,000 or both.
The other three suspects were arrested in Toledo, Ohio, and are awaiting extradition back to Michigan. This includes 51-year-old Roy Portis and 45-year-old Gregory Walker, who police believe is the man that can be seen in the surveillance tape forcing Deontae into a vehicle outside the market. The fourth person arrested was a woman who was with Walker at the time of his arrest. Her role in the kidnapping if any, is currently unknown. Our Michigan criminal defense attorneys remind us that all of the suspects are presumed to be innocent at this point.
In a statement made by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, she said that “The alleged facts in this case explicitly show that the lives of some of Detroit’s children continue to be less important than everything else — in this case a few dollars dropped from a pocket. May we all re-examine the worth of our children and we in the criminal justice system will handle the senseless murder of Deontae.” All of us at The Kronzek Firm send prayers to the Mitchell family.