Toledo man allegedly took Uber to Michigan to assault 15-year-old girl

A Toledo man is in police custody after he allegedly took an Uber ride to Michigan to kidnap and sexually assault a 15-year-old girl from Montrose.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson discussed the case on the department's FaceBook page on Friday night, saying the teen communicated with the suspect online for weeks using Snapchat, Discord and Fortnite.

Swanson said the suspect "groomed" the girl for three weeks while they chatted live online and played games.

The suspect allegedly took an Uber from Toldeo to Montrose on Jan. 14 and met the victim at a McDonalds, Swanson said. The pair hitchhiked to Detroit and took another Uber to Toledo where the suspect sexually assaulted the teen, police said.

Swanson said Montrose police took the initial complaint of a missing child and the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) operation assisted with an investigation. The teen was found by the Toledo police department, Swanson said.

The suspect was charged with felony kidnapping and three counts of criminal sexual conduct, Swanson said. He remains jailed on a $400,000 bond.

jchambers@detroitnews.com