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Posted on Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 2:30 p.m.

Missing 14-year-old girl found safe; Ann Arbor police say 2 men facing charges

By Lee Higgins

An exhaustive search for a missing 14-year-old girl ended today when Selena Leroux Riggins walked into the Eastern Michigan University Department of Public Safety and said, “Here I am,” police say.

Two men believed to be with Riggins for part of the week have been arrested. One was criminally charged today, and the other is jailed pending charges.

Police say Riggins and a 15-year-old friend met two 25-year-old men on an Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus earlier in the week. By Thursday, one girl reported she had been sexually assaulted by at least one of the men, and Riggins was missing.

Wayne William Rankin, 25, of Ypsilanti, surrendered Friday evening after his picture was broadcast in conjunction with an Amber Alert seeking Riggins. He was arraigned at the Washtenaw County Jail Saturday on a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct during the commission of a felony.

Wayne-Rankin.jpg

Wayne William Rankin

Woodrow Roosevelt Williams II, 25, of Ypsilanti, who also was wanted in the case, turned himself at about 11 a.m. Saturday, Ann Arbor Police Det. Bill Stanford said. Williams has not been yet been criminally charged as prosecutors review the case.

More than two hours after Williams surrendered, Riggins showed up at the EMU police station. Stanford said she was unharmed, but was being evaluated at a hospital.

Police declined to say exactly where Riggins had been staying since she was last seen Thursday in downtown Ypsilanti. She left her native Canada recently to move in with an aunt in Ypsilanti, but ran away earlier in the week because she didn’t want to return to Canada, Stanford said.

Police said Riggins and the other girl spent at least part of the week with Rankin and Williams.

On Wednesday evening, the four went to A Victory Inn and Suites, a hotel in the 3700 block of Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor, just west of U.S.-23, police said. At least two sexual assaults involving at least one of the girls have since been reported.

The 15-year-old girl told police Thursday night she "woke up" in Ypsilanti near Washtenaw Avenue and North Mansfield Street after being sexually assaulted by at least one of the men.

Police say she was dropped off in Ypsilanti, but it's not clear who dropped her off. Detectives are investigating to determine whether she was given drugs prior to the assault.

Stanford said Williams will likely be arraigned Sunday or Monday. Rankin is being held on $25,000 cash bail and is scheduled to return to court Feb. 17 for a preliminary exam.

Rachael Cox, who has been dating Rankin for six months, attended his arraignment today. She said she had never heard of Riggins until the Amber Alert was issued and was shocked by the allegation.

“I can’t freaking believe it,” she said. “We’ve been together for a while and he’s never shown aggression. We’ve had arguments, but he’s never done anything like that.”

Rankin has a 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. He said in court today he has no felony convictions, recently enrolled at the University of Phoenix and lives with his grandparents in Ypsilanti. A judge appointed Rankin a public defender and ordered that he have no contact with the victim.

Thumbnail image for Woodrow-Williams.jpg

Woodrow Roosevelt Williams II

Cox said Rankin and Williams have been friends for at least seven years. She said police knocked on her door late Thursday night at Sycamore Meadow Apartments in Superior Township, but she didn’t answer.

Cox, 19, said Rankin wasn't at her apartment. He told her he stayed with his brother Wednesday night and Thursday night, she said.

On Friday morning, Rankin stopped by her apartment about 9 a.m., and she told him police had knocked on the door.

“After I told him about the police coming, it didn’t really faze him,” she said.

Cox said she dropped Rankin off at a bus station in Ypsilanti about 10 a.m. Friday, and he planned to go to Ann Arbor to a homeless shelter where he stays sometimes. Rankin called her about 11 a.m. Friday from a "restricted" number, and she couldn't call him back.

“He said, 'Rachael, the police are looking for me,” she said. “My boy Woody is in some (expletive) right now, and they’re accusing the both of us."

"He didn’t want to tell me the charge and he hung up."

Rankin has been dealing with mental health issues and was working to get his life on track, Cox said. She said she thought he was making progress.

“I just can’t believe it,” she said. “I know he wouldn’t do something like that.”

News Director Amalie Nash contributed to this report.

Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.

Comments

frank kinney

Tue, Feb 9, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.

14 years old nice! the attackers in there 20's nice! girl from canada and only 14 years old! age of these girls and with men twice there age? hollywood TV education doing there best for our young boys and girls in todays world. girl on amber alert and walks into department of public safety here i'am like nothing happening or what? rankin dealing with mental health issues? with help by michigan private mental health groups? outstanding record of pill care? yes the youth of today and people wonder why they end up in a ditch dead! than theres honest eastern michigan college and authority that cover up murder? yeah girls hang out in eastern michigan? really pretty sad looking at our young people in the political correct world for which they are stuck in? yeah movie watch, don't be a menace to south central while drinking? CLASS first CLASS morbid CLASS movie! black roll models or what? how disgusting can anything be put on film for what purpose" show how to be a moron brain dead kind of human being? comment your known by the company you keep? how about you act like what you watch too? future for selena riggins! just another satistic ending. this girl needs alot of help and to tell you the truth she would'nt know what that word even means. 14 years old too! troubled mind is a wasted mind indeed. peace AMEN.

Latarian

Tue, Feb 9, 2010 : 12:22 a.m.

Selena leroux, a runanway from canada? Sounds like another white girl trying to pin rape on Black man to try and get out of trouble. Stay strong Wayne and Wooodrow. This aint the first time.

M.

Mon, Feb 8, 2010 : 3:31 p.m.

Anon E Mouse - Your comment is very offensive, not only because you're assuming this man's guilt (he went to the police station right when the amber alert was issued to say he was not involved), but because you seem to be intentionally behind several decades in mental health. Do you have any knowledge about any sort of mental illness? Do you think that all metal illnesses are made up? Many mentally ill people commit crimes, but it is the ILLNESS that comes before the CRIME. They don't run and "hide" behind the label; many of them have been previously diagnosed. It is true that many mental illnesses can cause severe impairment of judgement, uncontrollable impulses/urges (this doesn't have to be sexual...look at Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), a disorganized thought process that doesn't fully grasp reality/consequences, among hundreds of other symptoms depending on the illness. You seem to be saying that every person with a mental illness is a non-violent law abiding citizen ("the poor, homeless", etc....BTW not all poor and homeless are mentally ill, and not all poor and homeless follow the laws). You also imply that every criminal who "claims" a mental illness is lying. Which medical facility are you referring to that has plasma TVs and orders take-out?

newsboy

Sun, Feb 7, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.

What remains to be proven is guilt, our should we eliminate the Courts along with the Fire Dept.?

treetowncartel

Sun, Feb 7, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.

Now these are the types of individuals for a sex offender registry, not high school sweethearts.

clownfish

Sun, Feb 7, 2010 : 10:56 a.m.

Anon E Mouse Read the constitution. Learn history, who closed the mental health clinics in the state of MI? Hint: He was not a liberal. Lets save knees jerk reactions for Ms Palin and her group, shall we?

Anon E Mouse

Sun, Feb 7, 2010 : 10:16 a.m.

"Rankin has been dealing with mental health issues" is liberal speak for "he's sick and we need treatment him not incarcerate him" and the fine citizens of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County will send this fine upstanding person to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry where more liberals (this time disguised as doctors and social workers) will spend in excess 300,000.00 (dollars) to house him (A single room with air conditioning, Plasma TV's, and off the rack store purchased new clothing), feed him ( To buy him at least once a month KFC or is it take out Chinese this month?), provide him with the best medical care possible (with all those doctors they still send them to a regular hospital and of course never have to take generic medications) and eventually find him NGRI (Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity) then ultimately release him to do more of the same. I love the fact that we would rather put our children at risk rather than call a molester a molester and lock him away. That's why we spend over 231,000,000.00 (dollars) annually to house 1100 upstanding citizens in mental hospitals rather than the 5 million needed to incarcerate these animals. Over 3/4 of the "patients" in DCH (Department of Community Health) facilities are facing criminal charges or committed a violent crime. Rather than face the music for their actions they take/get the dodge by feigning mental illness. Thus taking up valuable resources away from the true mentally ill. You remember those folks, the homeless, poor, non violent person. But you would rather see some pedophile use resources that could go to some one who really needs it. Way to go people! I just hope it isn't your child he decides to prey upon when you defer him from DOC to DCH!

bucksnort

Sun, Feb 7, 2010 : 4:45 a.m.

if they did what they are accused of then i hope they learn something from it.... 15--to 20 years in the big house....you never know they could be trumped up charges..................... don't think it don't happen Justis will perv ell..right?

Blackhorse2

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 7:33 p.m.

It is hard to imagine such fine outstanding citizens, such as these two gentlemen, committing such a crime.

Paula Gardner

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 6:38 p.m.

As one reader noted, we did make a change to this story this afternoon by removing a quote that could have been interpreted as insulting to the victim - which we believe was not the intent of the person quoted.

Paul the Malcontent

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 5:41 p.m.

Thanks for the subsequent edit; can I start invoicing AnnArbor.com for my copy editing work? :-)

ezbngreen

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 4:23 p.m.

Sycamore Meadow Apartments+ 2 criminals+ 2 underage girls + a hotel room + 2 alleged sexual assaults on at least one of the girls= A recipe for disaster.... At least these two are locked up and hopefully the girls will get proper support and help from there family and friends. Not to mention isn't this the same apartment complex referred to in a recent homicide?

clara

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 3:39 p.m.

Hummm, why would a 25 year old man want to be with a 14 and 15 year old girl? Hummmm

clara

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 3:25 p.m.

So the girlfriend says Rankin has no criminal record. Will annarbor.com check ichat to see if this is true?

Tom Joad

Sat, Feb 6, 2010 : 3:23 p.m.

You're known by the company you keep...