DEARBORN — Dearborn police finally captured a serial rapist who attacked victims in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Redford, Allen Park and Inkster, among other cities, dating back to five years ago.

Last week, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office charged Ikeie Ranordo Smith, 32, of Redford Township with first-degree home invasion, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and a count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for some of the incidents allegedly committed in Garden City. He was arraigned last Friday in the 21st District Court.

Livonia Police obtained surveillance footage of a suspicious man walking through a resident’s yard in August and presented it to a multi-jurisdictional task force focused on serial home invasion and assaults.

The video led law enforcement to Smith.

Police arrested Smith on Wednesday, September 7 and he admitted responsibility for several of the cases under investigation.

The charges against Smith stem from an incident on Nov. 10, 2015, when he allegedly entered a home through an unlocked kitchen window and found his victim asleep on a mattress in the living room.

“She was awoken by an unknown Black male who had a black knife,” said Sgt. Ray Glenfield, whose testimony in court Friday detailed the attack. “The suspect rolled her over on her back and said he wouldn’t hurt her if she opened up her legs. She complied.”

The woman was then repeatedly raped at knifepoint. When the assault ended, Smith allegedly reminded the victim that he “knew where she lived.” The victim waited, stunned, a few moments before waking her husband, who was sleeping in another room.

According to Glenfield, DNA from saliva collected from the Garden City crime scene matched that from a mouth swab sent to a Michigan State Police lab after Smith was arrested last week.

Further, unspecified forensic evidence links Smith to “a significant number” of other cases.

During Glenfield’s testimony, Smith’s mother began to cry and walked slowly from the courtroom, using a cane. 

“Stick a fork in him, he’s done,” Janet Freeman said after her son’s arraignment.

Freeman expressed no doubt her son was involved in the attacks, citing DNA evidence. 

At a press conference, Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said police believe Smith may have been connected to at least three cases in his city.

Smith had been apparently striking random homes for a while without leaving a trail, until Dearborn Police “observed a possible pattern” connecting home invasions and assaults near the Dearborn-Allen Park border in July 2015.

He said the 30-plus remaining cases were committed in nearby communities and more charges are forthcoming.

“There is no more power he holds over the people and I can assure you he will be in jail for a long time,” Haddad said.

Allen Park Police Chief James Wilkewitz said multiple police departments have been working overtime to catch Smith.

“This guy is a regional predator and he’s committed some heinous crimes in several jurisdictions,” Wilkewitz said. “All of us were working together to get this guy. It’s a very proud day for law enforcement in this area.”

At the Dearborn Police Department, investigators placed photos of all his victims on a wall as a reminder to catch him.

While the victims remain anonymous, The AANews can confirm that among them were Muslim women. But Smith didn’t have a particular type; he targeted Caucasian, Black and Arab women– many of them married with children. One woman in Dearborn Heights whom he attempted to sexually assault was just a teen.

Despite surveillance footage, police will not release a photo of Smith any time soon. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said that they wanted to avoid having his photo released to the media so that his victims could properly identify him.