Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy

Jalen Pendergrass, ex-boyfriend of 17-year-old London Thomas, was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Thomas was found dead in a sealed bin in Southfield on April 26, 2025, two weeks after she went missing. Her death was ruled a homicide due to asphyxia.

A 19-year-old Detroit man, Mario Carl Melvin Neal, has been charged with first-degree murder and felony firearm in the June 7 shooting death of 23-year-old Kemajai Darden in a Detroit home. Police found Darden unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds, and Neal was arrested on July 17, 2026, after being identified as the suspect.

A registered sex offender, Donald Fields, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student at gunpoint in Hamtramck. The victim was abducted near her school bus stop, rescued 30 minutes later at a Sunoco gas station after a clerk noticed her distress and intervened.

A man shot by Taylor police appeared in court from a hospital bed and faces multiple felony charges, including firearm offenses and felonious assault. He is linked to two alleged robberies in Ohio involving a stolen U-Haul.

A Farmington Hills man was sentenced to 6-15 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run involving a drunk driving incident in Detroit that killed a 40-year-old woman. Cameron Lee Sims pleaded no contest to five charges, including operating while intoxicated causing death and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Nelson Otto Ropke, a Grosse Pointe Park attorney, pleaded guilty to creating and distributing child sexually abusive material by using photos of his family members' faces. He faces 26 felony charges, including aggravated child sexually abusive activity and computer-related crimes.

Jalen Pendergrass, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old London Thomas, whose body was found in a sealed bin in an SUV in Southfield on April 26, 2025. His mother, Charla Pendergrass, 49, faces charges of second-degree murder and evidence tampering. Jalen’s sentencing is scheduled for July 31, with Charla appearing for a pretrial hearing the same day.

Marcelo Cipriano Alvarado, accused of scamming over 25 people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through an auto fraud scheme, was released on bond after facing 10 felony charges including criminal enterprise and theft by deception. Prosecutors describe him as a 'practiced and heartless grifter,' with victims reporting excuses like family deaths or delayed parts before Alvarado allegedly disappeared.

A 16-year-old Michigan student was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint by a three-time repeat offender at a bus stop on April 13. The victim signaled for help at a gas station after being forced to buy cigarettes, leading to the suspect's arrest. Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields, 48, faces multiple charges, including kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct.