A Detroit man, 23-year-old Jacob Macklis, is facing multiple charges after a distressing episode at the American Inn in Royal Oak Township, where he is accused of severely assaulting a woman and her children. Macklis was arrested and is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to maim, assault by strangulation, felonious assault, two counts of third-degree child abuse, and domestic violence, as reported by CBS News Detroit.
Police, responding to emergency calls of a woman and children's cries for help at the motel on January 18, found Macklis allegedly holding the 35-year-old victim by her hair. Before he was taken into custody, he punched the woman in front of the responding Michigan State Police, described in a statement obtained by FOX 2 Detroit. The motivation for Macklis's actions, while holding the victim by the hair, showed an alarming disregard for human dignity and the severity of the situation.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald expressed dismay at the severity of the attack, stating, "The level of violence in this case is shocking." She extended her sympathy to the survivors of the ordeal and assured that her office aims to hold the defendant accountable by pursuing the most severe charges available. This statement to the press was echoed by a report from The Oakland Press.
In addition to the vicious assault on the woman, which reportedly included biting off a portion of her ear, Macklis is also accused of assaulting her two minor children. According to FOX 2 Detroit, he is currently being detained in the Oakland County Jail with a bond set at $750,000 cash/surety. If convicted on the charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Macklis could face life in prison, with additional time for the other charges—one of which, third-degree child abuse, carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, and the domestic violence charge is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail.
