Prosecutors: Rapist let pitbull attack victims


May 14, 2009

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN AND ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporters

During a brutal 12-hour ordeal, a Chicago man raped, beat, choked, played Russian roulette with and let his pitbull attack three sisters and their teenage friend, prosecutors said today in court.

Jimmie Smith, 34, was ordered held without bail today by Cook County Judge Jackie Portman.
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The alleged attacks began about 5 a.m. last Saturday at the bedside of the 14-year-old friend, who was at the sisters’ South Side home for an overnight visit, when Smith allegedly asked her if she would like $100 in exchange for sex, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Ramon Moore said.

Smith is the boyfriend of the sisters’ mother, who also lives in the home, authorities said.

After the teen resisted Smith, he allegedly choked her and allowed his pitbull to bite her repeatedly on her body. A 22-year-old sister, hearing the commotion, intervened and brought the teen to safety downstairs, locking both of them in a basement bedroom.

But Smith, armed with a handgun, kicked in the door and gathered all the victims — the other sisters are 14 and 21 — and tied their hands with ripped bed sheets, Moore said. He then allegedly took the 22-year-old into a bedroom, telling her that “she knew what he was going to do, and it was for ‘disrespecting’ him,’’ Moore said in court.

Smith then assaulted and choked her, Moore said. Afterward he allegedly raped the 14-year-old friend.

Smith then allegedly put the victims in a closet at the Chicago house before forcing them at gunpoint into a car. He drove them to a home in Harvey, which is owned by a second girlfriend, and then tied them with ropes and duct-taped their mouths, Moore said.

Once at the Harvey home, he emptied his handgun of all but one bullet, and after spinning the chamber, put it to the head of the 22-year-old and pulled the trigger, Moore said. Smith then pointed the gun at her chest and pulled the trigger again, he said.

While at the Harvey home, Smith also allegedly sexually assaulted the 21-year-old and her 14-year-old sister, who had tried to escape.

Smith left the Harvey home about 5 p.m. Saturday, returning to the sisters’ home to spend the night with their mother, who was distraught about their disappearance, Moore said. Smith pretended to know nothing about it. Earlier, he had forced the girls to answer calls from their mother and lie about their whereabouts, the prosecutor said.

The 22-year-old chewed through the ropes and they all managed to escape while Smith spent the night in Chicago. They fled to a nearby business for help.

Smith is charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the attacks.

He also was suspected of sexually assaulting one of the victims last year, law enforcement sources said.

The Chicago Police Department pursued charges against Smith last year for an alleged attack on one of the adult victims, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

But the Cook County state’s attorney’s office determined “there was not enough” evidence to file the charge, a source close to the investigation said.