SYRACUSE -- Three young suspects, one 13, the others 14- and 16-years-old, are charged with rape in a case Syracuse Police have been working to solve for four months. The Syracuse Police Department Abused Person Unit used DNA evidence to help solve the case.
On October 7th, 2010 at about 8:00pm, police responded to the 400 block of Oneida Street for a reported armed robbery. A 31-year-old woman told police she was robbed and sexually assaulted. According to the victim, she and a 34-year-old man were walking along when they were approached and accosted by three young male suspects. One suspect was armed with a large stick and another suspect stated he had a gun. The suspects attempted to rob the couple, but the male victim fled on foot to call for help.
The three suspects then forced the female victim into a vacant lot where they forcibly raped and sodomized her. The suspects then stole the victim’s purse and personal property and fled on foot. he female victim provided police with a description of the suspects. Syracuse Police officers who had quickly arrived in the area had already initiated a foot pursuit with possible suspects and had already apprehended one possible suspect. The suspect caught by police was positively identified as one of the suspects.
The suspect apprehended by police that night was a 13-year-old. The 13-year-old was charged with robbery in the first degree, rape in the first degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, all felonies, and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree. The suspect was classified as a Juvenile Delinquent and was placed in the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Facility.
Detectives from the Syracuse Police Department Abused Persons Unit continued to investigate the incident which led them to a second suspect who was apprehended and arrested on October 14th, 2010. The second suspect was identified as a 14-year-old male. He was charged with robbery in the second degree, and criminal sexual act in the first degree, both felonies. He was classified as a Juvenile Offender and was arraigned in Syracuse City Criminal Court and remanded to the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Facility.
Detectives continued their search for the third suspect, and the investigation led to the third suspect possibly being identified as 16-year-old Otis L. Tillie of 500 Robinson St. in Syracuse. Tillie was interviewed by detectives, but denied involvement in the incident. However, Tillie did voluntarily provide a DNA sample to detectives.
On February 10th, 2011, police were notified that the DNA sample provided by Otis L. Tillie matched the suspect DNA sample secured from the victim. Detectives arrested Otis L. Tillie as a result of the DNA match. Otis L. Tillie was charged with robbery in the first degree, rape in the first degree, and criminal sexual act in the first degree, all felonies. Tillie was arraigned in Syracuse City Criminal Court and lodged in the Justice Center.
