Man Found in Erie Wanted for Rape Charge in Baldwin Borough

(Read  for updated charges.)

The finally got their man.

Nearly 11 months after Baldwin police say that Jamal Tompkins, now 22, raped a 17-year-old girl in Baldwin's , Tompkins has been tracked down in Erie, PA, and brought back to Allegheny County, where he will face nine criminal charges.

police Chief Michael Scott said that his department had been trying to find Tompkins ever since the 17-year-old girl, formerly a student, reported that he and two other males—both minors at the time—raped her inside a vacant apartment as she made her way home from a high school football game.

Scott said that his department took the advice of the Allegheny County District Attorney's office and dropped charges against the two other males, 16 and 17 years old at the time, until proper DNA evidence could be gathered.

In the meantime, Tompkins fled, but on Sunday, July 24, police in Erie had arrested him on an unrelated charge under the alias "Devon Fred Howard."

Erie police held Tompkins/"Howard" for eight days and released him before learning that Baldwin police had issued an arrest warrant for Tompkins the year before.

Scott said that an informant for Baldwin police led them to check Erie for Tompkins.

"One of our officers developed information that he (Tompkins) had been living in Erie but had been arrested in Erie under another name," Scott said. "So, when our officer called up to Erie, they (Erie police) said, 'Yeah, we did have somebody by that (other) name' ... 

"... The Erie police went out and looked for him and found him soon after he was released."

Tompkins will now face charges in Baldwin of criminal solicitation, criminal conspiracy, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors, sexual assault, false imprisonment and unlawful restraint.

Scott said that his department is now satisfied enough with DNA evidence involved in the attack to refile sexual-assault-related charges against the two other males, as well.

"We thought there was (enough evidence before)," Scott said, "but they (the district attorney's office) wanted to make sure that the DNA actually came back the same and there wasn't any anomalies that would preclude somebody else from having done it.

"They just wanted to be absolutely sure."