Man charged in woman's rape during break-in has violent criminal past

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department has made an arrest in a recent sexual assault in which a woman was attacked in her own home.

The victim told police the assault happened May 31 after a man broke into her unit at Colonial Square Apartments while she was sleeping.

[READ MORE: Take a good look at this sketch. Police say he assaulted a woman in her own home]

Police said the investigation was a priority and they have been trying to track down the suspect ever since. On Tuesday, officers said they were able to connect the crime to 42-year-old Demetrius Abercrombie, who was arrested and charged with rape, kidnapping and burglary.

“It takes a sick and twisted individual to commit a sexual assault,” Lt. Jeff Baxter said.

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Investigators said just four days after the assault and while the victim was away, Abercrombie forced his way inside the apartment again and stole electronics.

They said they connected Abercrombie to the burglary from fingerprints left at the scene.

Then officers compared Abercrombie’s previous mugshots for other crimes to a sketch and the description the sexual assault victim gave police.

“She described a tattoo on his left arm. He has a tattoo on his left arm,” Baxter said.

Investigators said the suspect has a long criminal history, including a 2005 rape charge out of Fulton County.

“I think it was ultimately plead down to false imprisonment, which he was given probation,” Baxter said.

In 2012, Abercrombie was charged with burglary.

Police are now looking into whether he’s responsible for other crimes in the area.

In response to the 2005 rape charge being dismissed, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office sent us the following statement:

"In 2008, Demetrius Abercrombie pleaded guilty to the offense of False Imprisonment  as a result of a 2005 incident involving the mother of his infant child. Abercrombie was sentenced to 5 years in prison commuted to time served with the remaining 4 years and 11 months on probation. The State ultimately decided to dead docket the Rape and Burglary charges originally listed in the indictment because the victim in this case immediately recanted to police after the alleged incident occurred and refused to cooperate throughout the course of the investigation. The police officer who secured the Fulton County Magistrate’s warrant for Abercrombie’s arrest informed the judge the victim had recanted and the officer believed the warrant should be withdrawn. The judge denied the officers request, Abercrombie was arrested, and the Fulton County DA’s Office indicted the case. Through the course of the investigation, the State encountered an extreme lack of cooperation from the victim. The Fulton County DA’s Office believed this was a case of domestic violence so it proceeded forward with its prosecution; however, we were unable to obtain her cooperation. Ultimately, we dismissed the Rape and Burglary charges and Abercrombie pleaded guilty to the negotiated plea on the False Imprisonment charge."

Cox Media Group