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Suspect with Penny Hardaway sneakers, wanted in home invasion, sexual assault case

Posted at 6:39 PM, Aug 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-11 19:20:18-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond Police detectives are asking for the public’s help to find two suspects wanted in a sexual assault and home invasion inside a Jackson Ward home in February 2015.

The woman who was raped during the February 18 incident was seven months pregnant at the time of the violent attack.

Police said they responded the 700 block of North 1st Street for a reported home invasion. The victims, one male and one female, stated two unknown males armed with guns entered their home and robbed them and sexually assaulted the female.

The sexual assault victim, who we will refer to as Danielle, tells CBS 6 reporter Jon Burkett one of the suspects, who was a black male, was wearing black and silver Penny Hardaway sneakers.

According to police, these kind of sneakers are very rare.

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Nike Air Penny 6 Blue Suede and Black Silver

Months after the violent attack Richmond Police are still looking for additional information that can help them solve the case.

“Nearly six months have passed since we began investigating this upsetting incident and unfortunately we still have very few viable leads,” said Sgt. Kim Mooney with the Major Crimes Unit. “We’re asking that anyone who was in the area that night and may have seen something suspicious, whether or not they think it’s related, to please call us. Any piece of information, even if it seems insignificant, could propel this case forward.”

Earlier this year, Danielle talked CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit about the incident.

Danielle said she was sleeping the February 18 morning when her fiancé, who worked late that night, went outside to collect the couple's cat. It was around 2 a.m.

He opened the door, he hadn't even left the steps when two guys pulled his hood over his head and had guns up under his ribs, Danielle told CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit. They tried to rob him, she said, then pushed him into the couple's home, along the 700 block of North First Street in Jackson Ward.

The commotion woke Danielle up.

She said she yelled down to her fiancé, then heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Before she knew it, she said there was a gun to her head and the gunman demanded money. She said a second gunman had his foot on her fiancé’s head and had a gun pointed at him.

"He raped me and then he left for a minute to go look for more money," she told Hipolit. "Then he came back and tried to do it again."

Danielle described the attackers as "young." She said she was not wearing her contact lenses, so she was unable to get a good look at them.

"He was threatening to kill us," she said. "I am so angry and they're still out there."

The attackers took the couple's cell phones.

Once the attackers left the home, Danielle said she got onto her Xbox and got in contact with a friend in Seattle. That friend called 911 and Richmond Police arrived minutes later. It was about 3:30 a.m. at that point.

"They were very helpful and seemed very angry [about the situation]," Danielle said about the police officers who arrived to investigate the crime.

Danielle said she believed this was a crime of opportunity.

She said she wanted to tell her story not only to help get the attackers off the street, but to warn others who may work late or take their pets out at night.

"I want people to be careful," she said.

Her unborn baby was unharmed in the attack, she said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Major Crimes Detective David Cuffley at (804) 646-6795 or contact Crime Stoppers at 780-1000 or at http://www.7801000.com. Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip.  All the Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.

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