October 8, 2008

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's North Division officers have taken into custody the individual responsible for the sexual assault involving a 12 year old CMS student from earlier this morning at 3200 Dalecrest Dr. in North Charlotte.

At approximately 8:16 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 officers responded to call for service in reference to an individual who had just been raped.  According to the victim's statement she advised that while waiting to catch a CATS bus at the Transit Center to take her to her CMS bus stop a man approached her and followed her onto the CATS bus.  The victim advised that she got off the CATS bus in the Tanglewood Community to catch her school bus and the suspect followed her off of the bus.  The CMS bus had already left the bus stop so in turn the victim began walking to a relative's house that was nearby.  Approximately one hundred feet from the bus stop the suspect grabbed her, forced her into a wooded area fifteen feet from the roadway, and sexually assaulted her.  Several witnesses nearby heard the victim screaming for help and went to investigate.  When the witnesses were running to the aid of the victim, the suspect began running away.  At this time the witnesses jumped into a van, followed the suspect up the street, and caught him about three blocks away.  The witnesses detained the suspect until officers arrived on scene.

Marcus Maurice Kennedy (DOB 1/29/1980) was arrested for the sexual assault and was charged with First Degree Rape and Kidnapping.  Mr. Kennedy's arrest history in Charlotte-Mecklenburg goes back to 1996 including twenty-one prior arrests, ten misdemeanor and two felony convictions.  Some of his prior arrests include charges of assault, larceny, damage to property, trespassing, loitering, possession of stolen property, and carry a concealed weapon. 

According to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office, Mr. Kennedy pled guilty to indecent liberties with a minor on September 2, 2002, pled guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in Mecklenburg County on November 6, 2006 and has a pending drug charge as of October 8, 2008. 

Mr. Kennedy was transported to Police Headquarters and interviewed by Detectives from the Special Victims Division.  He is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.