Ann Arbor police chief: Alleged assault of Pioneer student isolated incident
Ann Arbor police Chief John Seto told a dozen concerned residents at a neighborhood meeting Wednesday evening that detectives are still investigating a reported incident involving an assault and attempted robbery of a Pioneer High School earlier this month.
Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto speaks at an Ann Arbor City Council meeting earlier this year.
"There aren't any similar incidents of that type in this area, nor do we believe that there is a pattern in other parts of the city," he said.
Seto said the investigation is still open. "We're still working on it," he said.
The residents all live in the neighborhood near West Stadium Boulevard and Marian Avenue in southwest Ann Arbor where a 17-year-old Pioneer student reported he was attacked May 15 by three men while he was walking home from school.
Seto fielded questions from the neighborhood group, but could not release any more details about the incident other than what had been previously reported.
"I can't comment on any potential leads we're looking into," he said, adding that detectives are exploring all angles.
AnnArbor.com previously reported the 17-year-old told police that three people came up from behind, pushed him to the ground, then struck him multiple times in the head.
The three suspects then attempted to rob him, he said, but the teen didn't have anything to steal. The suspects then fled. The 17-year-old reported the attempted robbery when he arrived home from school, Seto said.
The teen told police he didn't recognize any of the alleged assailants. He described them to police as black males about 19 or 20 years old, all wearing T-shirts. Two of the suspects were wearing baseball hats and shorts. The third was wearing blue jeans, police said.
Trish Koman came to the meeting because her children walk to school in the neighborhood and she would like that to continue.
"This is a really great neighborhood for walking," she said. "It's really safe. My kids walk to school. It would be such a shame if parents got too concerned about this because if you pull back then there's fewer people on the street to keep all the kids safe."
Koman was surprised the incident was reported right on busy West Stadium Boulevard and that nobody stopped.
"That's not the kind of neighborhood we have," she said.
Melissa Reitz's son walks in the neighborhood to catch a shuttle to Community High School.
"I don't want to change anything we're doing," she said. "But it gives you pause."
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Ann Arbor police anonymous tip line at 734-794-6939 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
jns131
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 11:24 p.m.
I hate to say it, but I agree. An isolated incident and I would not suspect it started at school and ended on the sidewalk. Cops? Look no further then the hi school. Dollars to donuts, no pun intended, it is a bullying issue. Keep me posted.
Patricia Lesko
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 2:35 p.m.
Within a two mile radius of Pioneer high school, between January 1, 2013 and May 27, 2013 there were 567 crimes committed, according to information from the Ann Arbor Police Department, including 95 assaults, 30 drug busts (including busts for possession of heroin) and 4 sexual assaults. Evidently, none of those crimes caught Higgins's attention. That is not a surprise. In 2012, a series of six serial rapes didn't catch her attention, either. Like the individuals who beat up the teenager on his way home from school, the serial rapist was never caught. In fact, before Marcia Higgins found out that she was being challenged for her seat by a very strong candidate whose views of the importance of funding basic services conflict with her votes against funding basic services, she did little but support budgets that reduced safety services. She did this despite the fact that, when running for Council in 2009, she claimed at a candidate debate that her "top priority" was the protection of "vital city services" – police, fire, garbage. Having a private meeting with a handful of people from a single neighborhood in the city at her home about public safety is just plain wrong. The Mayor Pro Tempore of the sixth largest town in Michigan has no business holding a private meeting about public safety. To do so because it suits her political purposes is an unforgivable insult to the 566 other people who were assaulted, robbed, raped and victimized in the same area as the unfortunate Pioneer high school student between January and May 2013. If Marcia Higgins has something to say about crime in Ann Arbor, about crime around Pioneer high school, about the assault of a student, about the fact that the police have not found the assailants, she needs to say it all in public. (http://www.a2politico.com/2013/05/the-politics-of-pandering-holding-meetings-about-public-safety-in-private/)
DJBudSonic
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 11:59 p.m.
What would have happened if word of the meeting got out, and hundreds of citizens, concerned about crime in Ann Arbor, showed up to speak to Chief Seto?What if every crime victim from this year alone showed up? Would 560-odd people have been let in? I am not so put off about this meeting happening in a private home, but rather the perks that must exist for a seated council member. Could I get Chief Seto to attend a small, invitation-only neighborhood meeting at my house? Maybe, I have never called and asked him.
A2comments
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 10:44 a.m.
involving an assault and attempted robbery of a Pioneer High School... student?
Tru2Blu76
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 9:09 p.m.
"Seto also assured the 12 residents..., that the attack was an isolated incident." Certainly, that's always reassuring. But another way of saying it is that such attacks can happen anywhere - because - they are "random." In practice: it's a matter of personal and parental choice whether to become trained in the basics of self defense / self protection. This isn't about carrying a gun. Some people are "defense minded" and choose to learn ways of *being more aware when out away from home.* They may also carry a loud (but small) personal alarm and maybe a "tactical" (high intensity) flashlight to cause attackers to stop. Neither of these devices require licensing, they are totally non-lethal. Of course, as soon as it's safe: they may want to call 911 via their cell phone. Being unaware and being without these affordable means of deterring attack simply makes a person a target. Aggressors look for opportunities to be aggressive. Why take the chance of being such an "opportunity" for them - even if the chance is small?
DJBudSonic
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 11:45 p.m.
Awareness of your environment has less to do with weaponry and more to do with mindfulness. Some people find it helps them to be mindful when they are in any setting that cannot be considered completely safe. Have seatbelt laws, used to encourage mindfulness and safety in a dangerous setting (the roadways) made anyones life horrible? Our children are encouraged to attend preparedness training, like the Safetytown program, at a very young age. It teaches about situational awareness and mindfulness. Does this make their life horrible? The use of the term" isolated incident" I believe means that this attack is of a unique nature at this time. We should assume that there have not been other reports about 3 "black males about 19 or 20 years old" beating and robbing anyone else, thankfully.
Ricebrnr
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 10:54 a.m.
That is illogical. Where did you see someone choosing to be Are you saying that because you have smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in your house that you go through life afraid of fire? Food in the fridge means you are afraid of starvation? Money in the bank because you are afraid of being poor and homeless? These things affect your life in a negative way do they?
ordmad
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 3:55 a.m.
No,choosing to be afraid.
Ricebrnr
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:51 p.m.
Yes, choosing to be prepared for adversity is sad said the grasshopper to the ants...
ordmad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:09 p.m.
What a horrible way for one to go through life.
John Counts
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:27 p.m.
Alan Goldsmith: This wasn't necessarily a public meeting like, say, a city council meeting or meetings of other boards and committees that fall under the Open Meetings Act. It was an informal meeting for residents in the neighborhood that we caught wind of yesterday and decided to check out given the interest in the incident. The residents, I believe, publicized it on their own neighborhood email list and via other online means. A posting of the meeting got sent to us, so I called and spoke with Higgins who was kind enough to let me sit in on it.
John Counts
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 11:03 p.m.
No one asked us for coverage. We were informed the meeting was going on and decided to cover it.
Brad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:30 p.m.
So somebody wanted press coverage and you obliged.
Alan Goldsmith
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
"Seto also assured the 12 residents gathered in the living room of Council Member Marcia Higgins, D-4th Ward, that the attack was an isolated incident". So Marcia Higgins has 12 people show up at a private meeting at her home, the Police Chief and the Press are in attendance but other residents weren't invited? Why wasn't it help in a public setting? Why wasn't the public invited to attend? For someone running for reelection in the August Democratic primary this appears to be more of a photo op campaign ploy than actually looking out for the residents of the 4th Ward. If AnnArbor.com got invited, why not the public--you know, residents and taxpayers so we could ask questions too? For someone who has voted to gut the police and fire department budgets, apparently candidate Higgins has a very short memory about her past actions that got us here. In the future, maybe AnnArbor.com could invite the public if they get word such private gatherings.
Bear
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:43 p.m.
Hmmmmm.... every time something happens that involves a certain neighborhood, we should grandstand with a public meeting in a large venue and invite the public at large? I don't think so. That is illogical. You are reaching on this one. And if you think the people in the neighborhood affected aren't "residents and taxpayers" then something is wrong with you. Get a grip. And the police and fire department budgets haven't been "gutted". Your chicken little exaggerations have been duly noted, however. Your argument is silly, unfounded and exaggerated.
JRW
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 7:33 p.m.
There have been plenty of assaults around the city, maybe not on this exact street, but plenty of them are happening. I don't know what constitutes an "isolated" incident, but the city usually wants to play down the crime, since it isn't good for PR.
DJBudSonic
Sat, Jun 1, 2013 : 11:33 p.m.
What slur? What did I miss?
a2citizen
Fri, May 31, 2013 : 1:30 a.m.
Careful Brad, I got deleted for pointing out bear's slur.
Brad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 10:25 p.m.
What slur?
Bear
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:46 p.m.
what constitutes an isolated incident is that such a thing doesn't usually happen in this neighborhood. Most of the assaults you speak of happen downtown or in student ghetto or near downtown. Your slur to council member higgins and the city in general has been duly noted, however.
a2grateful
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 7:02 p.m.
"Seto also assured the 12 residents gathered in the living room of Council Member Marcia Higgins, D-4th Ward, that the attack was an isolated incident." Pardon me? Ms. Higgins offers her residence as a safe harbor from crime, complete with police chief, affirming public safety, away from the police force that she helped dismember? She'll need to get a bigger living room when this news spreads. . .
Bear
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:38 p.m.
one neighbor offers her home as a meeting place and up pop the negative comments that have no real content and little reason for the tongue-clucking. She is doing her job as a citizen and a council member. Go find something else to complain about. And as far as dismembering the police department, you exaggerate grossly. the police department was bloated and therefore had to be trimmed. How many officers will it take for you to 'feel' safe? One for every city block? Do we continue to add to the police force ad infinitum? I don't think you have a leg to stand on in this argument.
Brad
Thu, May 30, 2013 : 8:02 p.m.
Probably because the incident occurred about two blocks from her house. Would she have the same interest level if it happened in another part of the 4th ward? Makes one wonder.