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MSP chopper used to catch sex assault suspect in Detroit victim's car
"I grew up with him. I've been knowing him since I been 14," the victim said. "At the time, when he first came in, it was the regular person who I knew. And then something was just different. It was like he just snapped."
DETROIT (FOX 2) - ***WARNING: ABUSE DETAILED IN THIS STORY MAY BE GRAPHIC.***
A Detroit woman said she was raped, brutally beaten and tied up by a man she has known for a long time last Thursday. She barely survived the attack.
The suspect is 35-year-old Mikel Lauderdale, a convicted rapist who was charged in 2007. After allegedly assaulting the woman, who FOX 2 is calling Tiffani for the sake of anonymity, he stole her vehicle and all her TVs.
"In my mind, I knew I wasn't going to see my kids again, so I just kind of made peace with the fact of just giving up because he was stronger than me, and he had me in a full-blown headlock and I couldn't breathe anymore," she said. "Everything went blank. I thought I died."
The assault took place in Tiffany’s living room, on Detroit’s west side. She said the man who put his hands around her neck and pulled out a knife on her was a friend who was like a brother to her.
"I grew up with him. I've been knowing him since I been 14," Tiffani said. "At the time, when he first came in, it was the regular person who I knew. And then something was just different. It was like he just snapped."
Lauderdale cornered her in a bedroom.
"He proceeds to take my pants off. He ripped my beater off with the knife that he had," the victim said.
He then allegedly raped her. When it was over, Tiffani said he started pacing over her bruised and beaten body.
"He was pacing, trying to figure out if he wanted to kill me or not," she told FOX 2.
She convinced him not to. Instead, he tied her up, and left her in the basement.
"He said the only reason why I'm going to allow you to breathe is because I love you," Tiffani said.
Lauderdale fled the scene while Tiffany freed herself from the ties to call for help.
Detroit police were able to ping her vehicle. When they tried to pull the suspect over, he did not stop and led police on a chase.
He eventually ditched the vehicle in Melvindale, and tried to hide. But Michigan State Police chopper video captured Lauderdale running from officers.
Lauderdale was caught by police and arrested on charges that include rape, kidnapping and assault. He was remanded to custody; bond was not even an option.
"It gives me a different outlook on people. I just don't trust nobody," Tiffani said.