Police: Wilde Lake High Rape Occurred in Choir Room
Police provided a more detailed outline in court documents of what they said happened at Wilde Lake High School earlier this week.
The 14-year-old female who accused a fellow student of raping her at Wilde Lake High School told police the incident happened Monday inside a choir room, according to the statement of probable cause filed in court documents.
Police said that the school provided evidence that shows the girl and DeShawn Rasheed Jones, 17, entering and leaving the choir room, as well as the 14-year-old taking one of her friends to the restroom after it happened, according to the documents.
Jones is currently being held on $500,000 bond, according to court officials. He is being charged as an adult with second-degree rape, second-degree assault and false imprisonment.
Patch contacted a woman who said she was Jones' mother on Wednesday. The woman said she couldn't comment on the incident at the moment per the lawyer's advice. Attempts to contact Jones' lawyer on Thursday were not successful.
According to the court documents, the 14-year-old freshman told police Jones, a junior at Wilde Lake High School, texted her to meet him in the auditorium and that he wanted to tell her something.
She said she refused and instead asked Jones to come to her class, which he did, according to the documents. She told Jones she was going to lunch, but that she would walk with him, police said. While they were walking, Jones asked her to go to the roof with him, which she declined, according to documents.
Then, police said Jones said he wanted to see the dance hallway and, once there, Jones started looking in the choir room, where there are three practice rooms, according to the documents.
Police said Jones then pulled her into one of the rooms, which contained two pianos, a chair and a window, and had sex with her, according to court documents. The 14-year-old tried to refuse, but she told police he was stronger than her and his body was blocking the door, police said in reports.
Afterwards she went to the lunchroom and grabbed one of her friends, took her to the restroom and told her what happened, according to the documents. After lunch, she went to her next class and told another friend what happened, according to court papers.
Evidence provided by the school to police shows the 14-year-old leaving the choir room shortly before Jones, as well as leaving the lunchroom immediately after the incident with her friend, according to the statement of probable cause.
A Howard County schools spokesperson said that most school rooms are occupied during the school day, and if unoccupied, there is an expectation that they are locked. The spokesperson said the school system is fully cooperating with police on their investigation.
Police said they also questioned Jones who said he had texted the girl, that they walked around the school and ended up in the choir room where sexual contact occurred, according to the documents.
The documents stated Jones has lived in Columbia for five months near the 6000 block of Laurel Wreath Way in Columbia, previously he had an address in Randallstown.
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Jake
2:10 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
We will hear both sides in court. My neighbors son in Harford County actually went through this same type of situation not even three months ago , his bail was set at $25,000. This students bail is set at $500,000.00 in Howard County. WOW.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/belair/ph-ag-lori-granted-bail-1205-20121203,0,3936322.story
Our kids are growing up quicker in a fast paced society and I'm sure law enforcement will have the ability to pull up text messages, and other communication and friends from both individuals to see if there was any form of relationship there. How did these two know each other? I do hope the young lady is okay and safe but I do understand that there are two sides to every STORY.
Suzanne Lipado
12:50 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
The roof? Dance hall? Choir room? No locked doors? No one viewing cameras until after the fact? The fault lies with the Administration of Wilde Lake high school. Lax security, incompetence and unprofessionalism caused an unsafe environment. This is common place at Wilde Lake and it takes something like this to happen to bring it to the forefront. Howard County needs to replace most of the Administrative staff at Wilde Lake and in doing so they will also weed out the teachers that should never have been teaching there or anywhere else.
E. Callahan
11:07 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
Suzanne, the WLHS Administration didn't allow this guy to rape this child. This slug targeted this girl, who was thrilled with his "adult" advances; he was 'new' to the Columbia area; he likely heard about several areas where kids cut classes without leaving the building: stairwells not monitored closely, hallways with not much student or general staff activity, such as the dance/music hallways.
Go to a school board meeting. Voice your concerns about the teachers/administration in that venue. This issue does not weigh in on this one isolated incident at Wilde Lake High School.
The issue is how this slug found the opportunity to rape this young girl. Don't forget to ask yourself these questions concerning the victim. Could this girl have a part in the way it played out? Yes, she made the conscience decision to go with him. She's 14 and of the age with full understanding and determination that her actions were wrong and against school policy at that particular moment in time. She was not forced to go with him; she went willingly. Was she possibly flirting with him? Did she hang with this slug outside of school? Could her friends have encouraged her, telling her this slug really "liked" her because he was 'paying attention' to her? Yes, this is huge a probability. There are so many factors that may or may not come to light if this incident goes to trial. Plug in your common sense, Suzanne, you will hopefully see everything in a clear manner.
Madison Sparks
6:45 pm on Saturday, February 9, 2013
I don't think that administration should be blamed for this. WLHS admin has been making great progress in improving the general atmosphere of the school. They probably weren't prepared for a rape situation because a rape situation should never happen in a school. It's not administration's fault. It's the rapists' fault.
Kim Cooke
9:56 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Jake, I'm sure you anticipated some negative reactions to your post. Just as this accused student is presumed innocent, I would expect the public to understand that women are raped at a very high rate in this country. Yes, legitimate rape. All you have to do is read trial transcripts, police blotters and newspapers or know a few women. If a few suspects are falsely accused, there is no reason to become incredulous of every accusation, arrest and prosecution. There are not always mitigating or alternative explanations as you imply when you make your claim about there "always" being two sides to every story.
E. Callahan
9:56 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
I am very confident WLHS is much, much safer than it has been in recent years...dispite this horrible incident. My confidence is due to Mr. LeMon being placed at the helm. He came from a very rough school and turned it around. When I heard he was replacing Mr. Whitacker, I was very happy about this. There were several issues that Mr. Whitacker allowed to happen without much involvement on his end to step in when it was his job to do so. I didn't have a feeling of a level of safety for my own children being sent to the school during his tenure at WLHS. I can guarantee the staff who hold classes in that section will be extra vigilant now, checking doors periodically to make certain they are locked when not in use. Cameras should be in all classrooms, if they aren't already.
Jennifer Walters Soler
11:07 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
Columbia Patch - It's inappropriate to log this alleged rape case under "MD Weird News." The situation is tragic, not an event that should be linked with roaming cows! Please show some maturity and compassion before creating such a ridiculous headline.
I agree with another commenter that the individual charged has not been convicted yet. However, it is clear there are security policies and procedures in need of re-evaluation at Wilde Lake High School.
kiki alexis
10:12 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
I think that high school can do better long reach was also a bad school but its better and i think i speak for everyone when i say wilde lake can do the same
Suzanne Lipado
10:12 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
E. Callahan- I understand you are posting in defense of your friend, the principle Mr. Lemon however, the parents and teachers who are quite familiar with the every day functions in Wilde Lake know much better then what you are "preaching". Rape is ONLY the fault of the perpetrator; never the victim. If a rape did take place and there were "stairwells not monitored closely" and class rooms "without much general staff or student activity"; "COMMON SENSE" would be that Administration should....be monitoring the cameras and doors should have been LOCKED. In all that you have stated you have only driven home the fact that any high school should be adequately prepared for today's youth by having competent staff who know to be aware that children and young adults make stupid decisions at times. We are talking about a 14 and 17 year old and while they know the difference between right and wrong, they do not have the maturity to refrain or problem solve as some adults have; that is also "common sense". If you are a mature adult I am wondering why you would repeatedly call the young man who has the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty a "slug". Lastly, this is not an "isolated incident" as you falsly stated; it's an incident that finally made it to the publics' attention!