BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Niagara Falls man is facing several charges related to a series of violent attacks in Buffalo in which he allegedly forcibly raped the victims.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced 21-year-old Daquawn D. Mike of Niagara Falls was arraigned Monday in Erie County Court on a 14-count indictment for allegedly violently attacking three women and forcibly raping them while armed with a weapon during separate incidents in 2017.
Mike was arraigned on the following:
- Three counts of Rape in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felonies)
- Nine counts of Predatory Sexual Assault (Class “A-I” felonies)
- One count of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony)
- One count of Robbery in the First Degree (Class “B” violent felony)
The district attorney's office said evidence in an illegal gun possession case led to the indictment of Mike on the charges listed above.
In January 2021 Mike was arraigned in Cheektowaga Town Court on one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree after officers allegedly found a loaded, illegal handgun under the front passenger seat of a vehicle during a traffic stop. He was released on $7,500 bail and failed to appear for a felony hearing in February and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
He was located by the US Marshals Service in April 2021 and was taken into custody and held on a probation violation for a prior conviction in Niagara County. He was arraigned in State Supreme Court on an indictment charging him with one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in September 2021 and was held without bail.
The illegal weapon allegedly found in Mike's possession was submitted to the Erie Crime Analysis Center for testing. The district attorney's office said forensic analysis allegedly linked Mike to the illegal gun and three unsolved rape cases that occurred in Buffalo in 2017.
According to the district attorney's office the first incident occurred on February 6, 2017. Mike allegedly attacked a woman in the area Scajaquada and Kilhoffer Streets and forcibly raped her while pointing a gun at her head. The alleged incident occurred during a robbery and Mike is accused of stealing the victim's cell phone, pack of cigarettes and approximately $12 in cash. The district attorney's office said the victim reported the crime to police and underwent a rape kit at ECMC.
The second incident occurred on February 21, 2017. Mike allegedly attacked a second female victim who was walking on Curtiss Street near Broadway. He allegedly dragged the victim to the side of a nearby garage and forcibly raped her at knifepoint. The district attorney's office said the victim reported the crime to police and underwent a rape kit at ECMC.
The third incident occurred on July 3, 2017. Mike allegedly lured a third female victim who was walking on Wick Street to a nearby area alongside train tracks. He allegedly pointed a gun at the victim’s head and forced her to engage in sexual conduct. He also allegedly forcibly raped the victim at gunpoint and stole her cell phone. The district attorney's office said the victim reported the crime to police and underwent a rape kit at ECMC.
According to the district attorney's office, the alleged crimes are believed to be random attacks as Mike was not known to any of the victims.
He is scheduled to return on both indictments November 22 and remains held without bail. He faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges.
