Police have dropped all charges against a white man accused of urinating on a 5-year-old Black girl and calling her the n-word after determining the entire story was fabricated.
On Friday, Grand Rapids police and prosecutors said they determined the story wasn’t valid and that no further charges would be issued against 60-year-old David Allen Dean, who was arrested after the initial report on Wednesday, MLive reported. Prosecutors said Dean, who is listed as a registered sex offender, had a “verifiable alibi” from people who vouched for his whereabouts at the time of the alleged incident.
David Allen Dean, 60, has an extensive criminal history, including charges of criminal sexual assault and indecent exposure. (Image courtesy of the Kent County Jail)
Authorities said several children, aged 7 and under, were playing hide-and-seek in a nearby alley around 6 p.m. that evening when one of the children urinated on the 5-year-old girl. In talking with them, the parents of the children ultimately determined they had “concocted the story to avoid trouble.”
“… She came in the house and she was wet, like soaking wet, and I’m asking her what happened but she was afraid to tell me because she thought she was gonna get in trouble,” Katrena Rapier, the mother of the three children playing with the girl, told KTLA 5 earlier this week. “And then I called my boys because I knew they’d tell me and then they said the guy (Dean) said ‘stupid N-word’ and started peeing on her.”
In their initial report, the children claimed they were playing hide-and-seek when Dean popped out from behind a bush and began urinating on the 5-year-old’s head. The victim’s parents quickly called the police to report that someone had peed on their daughter. Witnesses, two 7-year-olds and another 5-year-old, gave police a description of the suspect and Dean was later arrested at his home.
With the facts of the case now out, police say they appreciate the “conscientiousness” of the parents in alerting them to the situation. Prosecutors said the children did not admit the truth until their parents talked with them further about the disturbing incident.
“The community and members of the media were understandably interested and concerned about the allegations, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. “But this is a prime example of why it’s so important to wait until all the evidence has been gathered and the criminal investigation has been completed before jumping to any conclusions.”
Dean was initially charged with felony sex offense charges excluding assault and commercializing, KUTV reported. Documents obtained by the station showed Dean has an extensive criminal history, including charges for indecent exposure and criminal sexual assault of a minor.
