Battle Creek police seek rape suspect

A man in his early 30s is being sought for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl in August. Detective Sgt. Jim Martens of the Battle Creek Police Department said the girl disclosed the assault to her mother only recently and it was reported to police Oct. 8.

The girl has been interviewed and a sketch of the man by a Michigan State Police artist was prepared and provided to detectives on Wednesday.

“A disclosure a month and a half later does not detract from the credibility of the claim,” Martens said. “Every individual deals with it in their own way.”

Martens said the girl told her mother about the incident and then it was reported to police.

The girl has been interviewed and said the incident occurred about twilight on a day in the middle of August after she and a friend were chased by a dog near Calhoun and Franklin streets.

The girl said she and her friend ran in different directions and she ran behind an abandoned house on Franklin Street where she encountered the man.

She was dragged to the ground and sexually assaulted.

The girl described the man as black, 6-foot-2 with a normal build. He had short hair, a full short beard and pock marks on his cheeks. He was wearing a dirty white T-shirt, dark blue jeans and black work boots. She believed the man was homeless.

Anyone with information is asked to call Battle Creek police at 966-3363 or Silent Observer at 964-3888.