A 21-year-old Lakewood man was arrested after a 12-year-old Hoquiam girl reported the man sexually assaulted her at a residence in McCleary, according to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers.
Jeremiah D. Shallow is currently in the Grays Harbor County Jail facing charges including kidnapping, rape, assault and burglary. His bond is listed at $400,000.
Myers said the victim told Skamania County Sheriff’s deputies she had been dropped off by Shallow in the town of Stevenson and that she had been sexually assaulted by Shallow, whom she had met on social media.
According to Myers, the 12-year-old victim, who was a reported runaway, had left Hoquiam with a 13-year-old Lakewood girl on a bus that took them as far as McCleary. The two spent the night at the McCleary home of the 13-year-old’s former foster parents before she moved on to Lakewood.
Once in Lakewood, the girls contacted acquaintances over social media in an attempt to get a ride and were referred to a 21-year old Lakewood man, who referred to himself as “Gucci” on social media, via Facebook messenger, who was apparently willing to drive over to meet the girls.
When Shallow drove up in his brown mid-90s Toyota Camry, the 13-year-old decided not to leave with the man, so the 12-year old was left alone, said Myers. “The male apparently drove the 12-year-old girl to a local park and sexually assaulted her inside the vehicle,” said Myers.
After the assault, the suspect and victim drove to Grays Harbor, where he burglarized and spent the night in the same McCleary home where the girls had been the night before. The victim was again sexually assaulted, said Myers.
The home was ransacked for valuables, including large electronics, computers, personal effects and three firearms. Detectives noted the evidence indicated the suspect had basically stuffed as many items into his car as it could hold, said Myers.
The suspect and victim left the home early the next morning so as not to be noticed by neighbors, said Myers. The suspect then drove the victim to various locations around southwest Washington and into Oregon before crossing the Bridge of the Gods into Skamania County.
Late in the evening, the suspect abandoned the 12-year-old girl at a closed coffee stand before driving to another nearby location, where he allegedly picked up a 16-year-old girl who was also reported as a runaway.
Hoquiam detectives worked with the McCleary Police Department and the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office to identify the 21-year old suspect and attempt to determine his current whereabouts. Investigators went to the McCleary residence to collect evidence, said Myers, and Skamania County released a law enforcement bulletin in an attempt to locate the suspect and 16-year-old girl.
Detectives secured a Grays Harbor County felony arrest warrant for Shallow while Skamania County learned the 16-year-old girl called from a location in Pierce County on July 3 reporting she had also been sexually assaulted by the suspect, said Myers.
Pierce County deputies responded to the location and arrested Shallow on the warrant before he was transferred to the Hoquiam City Jail, where he was interviewed by detectives. Shallow was later booked in the Grays Harbor County Jail for several felony offenses, including rape of a child, kidnapping, first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm. Skamania County has also issued a felony arrest warrant for Shallow for kidnapping.
The 12-year old victim is currently hospitalized for treatment, said Myers.
In the days since the arrest, detectives have been able to recover some of the property stolen in the burglary, including two of the firearms, said Myers.
Myers said detectives believe there are likely other juvenile victims in Washington and possibly northern Oregon.
“As detectives have reviewed phone records, it appears the suspect actively targeted troubled, underage vulnerable girls via social media and text message communication,” said Myers. “As many sexual assaults are never reported, it is critical to empower victims to report these abuses to law enforcement for criminal investigation. If there are additional victims, they are encouraged to call their local law enforcement agency where the offense occurred.”
Detectives have also been in contact with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force for assistance if this case continues to progress across multiple counties or states.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation should call HPD Detective Sergeant Jeremy Mitchell at 360-532-0892 extension 287; or email Det. Sgt. Mitchell at jmitchell@cityofhoquiam.com.
