Two abductions of females on bicycles has the community talking and wondering what to do to keep safe on Detroit’s streets.
Detroit’s bicycling community is seeing strong gains, between more bicyclists on the road and they city’s focus on bike sharing and protected bike lanes.
But two incidents raise questions about being protected from a personal safety perspective. Both incidents occurred less than a mile from the Russell Industrial Center.
First, there was an abduction on Saturday, September 30 according to the Detroit Free Press at Orleans and Milwaukee Streets. The victim, a white, 27-year-old female, was robbed and sexually assaulted after being thrown in a white van.
A second alleged incident happened on Sunday evening (October 8) at 5 p.m. The name has been withheld, but this is what is being reposted on Facebook.
The Metro Times reports that this second alleged victim is a white, 24 year old woman who was abducted from St. Aubin, north of the Russell Industrial Center (after Clay bends into St. Aubin) on the border between Hamtramck and Detroit.
When reached for comment, a Detroit Police spokesperson told Daily Detroit that they had taken a report at 11:50 p.m. on Sunday of a possible kidnapping and assault, but they could not confirm if it was the same as the referenced Facebook post or if the two incidents are related. They did confirm that sex crimes is investigating.
Shianne Nocerini contributed to this report.