18-year-old charged with crimes against girlfriend
By JESSIE STENSLAND
Whidbey News Times Assistant editor
February 4, 2011 · Updated 1:43 PM
An 18-year-old Seattle man is accused of raping, choking and hitting his girlfriend at her Oak Harbor home last month, court documents indicate.
Michael Akerele pleaded not guilty in Island County Superior Court Jan. 31 to rape in the third degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment and assault in the fourth degree. They were all filed as domestic violence-related charges.
Oak Harbor Police Officer Lisa Powers investigated the incident that occurred in Navy housing on Jan. 13 and 14. The 23-year-old woman said Akerele became violent after he hacked into her email and Facebook accounts and started questioning her about them.
The woman said she agreed to have sex with Akerele so he would stop hitting her, the report states. She said he kneed her in the left cheek before she finally gave in.
The woman claimed Akerele later threatened to drown her in the bathtub, pulled her off the bed and bit her on the thigh, the report states.
After trying to push her out the door, Akerele allegedly pulled the woman’s shirt up and choked her with it until she was unable to breath, Powers wrote. As she struggled to free herself, he hit her with a broom and threatened to kill all her animals, the police report states.
In an interview with police, Akerele claimed that the woman had attacked him and that he accidentally struck her in the face with his knee while restraining her, the report states.
If convicted of the charges against him, Akerele could face up to a year and five months in prison under the standard sentencing range.
Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.Comment on this story.
So keep your comments:
- Civil
- Smart
- On-topic
- Free of profanity
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.
