Shawn Hopkins (Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (FOX 2) - A suspect in a 2005 rape of a 14-year girl in southwest Michigan was caught recently thanks to DNA.
Shawn Darnell Robinson Hopkins, 37, of Kalamazoo, was charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and turned himself in last week.
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According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), Hopkins allegedly gave the victim alcohol and marijuana before sexually assaulting her. The girl had met Hopkins through a friend and only knew him as "Chicago."
An investigation started after the crime, but Hopkins fled to Chicago when he learned he was under investigation, authorities said.
Hopkins has multiple aliases, authorities said, and a record of domestic violence with families and partners that dates back to the early 2000s.
"The ties between sexual assault and domestic violence are pervasive and well-documented. This defendant has a track record of multiple violent assaults, and yet his survivors still had the courage to come forward and report their experiences to law enforcement," Nessel said. "I’m grateful for the continued hard work and determination of the Kalamazoo SAKI team who help cold cases like this achieve justice."
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Hopkins was released on a $100,000 recognizance bond. He is due back in court for a preliminary examination on Feb. 21.
"This case is another example of the tremendous work being done on behalf of the survivors of sexual assault. No survivor should go unheard. I hope that this case, and others like it, will serve notice to those that would prey on others in the community that there are severe consequences for their actions," said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. "I also want to take this opportunity to thank Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan Legislature for their support. Without it, we would not be able to have the team of attorneys, advocates, and investigators that are necessary to bring these difficult cases to court."