Michigan Police chief responds to criticism over investigation into child assault

Chief facing criticism over conflict of interest in the case

SANDUSKY, Mich --   Sandusky, Michigan Police Chief Brett Lester is responding to the recent arrest of 19-year-old Andrew Hakeem Jewell. 

Jewell is charged with a misdemeanor assault and battery after he allegedly grabbed an 8-year-old girl at a thrift store in Sandusky.

Click here to watch the interview with the alleged victim's mother who tells me what happened.

Mom Sydney Kitchen tells me she was shopping at a thrift store in Sandusky, Michigan when a man who was working at the store grabbed her eight-year-old daughter and dragged her into the bathroom.

Kitchen tells me she was only ten feet away at the time. Her younger son noticed what happened and started yelling. Kitchen tells me the mom let go of the girl and claimed the girl had followed him into the bathroom.

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The girl was not physically hurt but her mom says is now struggling emotionally after this tragic incident.

Jewell was arrested for committing the same exact crime in February of 2022. He was given probation and was placed on a tether for 93 days. This crime was also a misdemeanor battery assault charge.

Police Chief Brad Lester sent me the following statement:

"Everyone involved with the Michigan House of Hope is deeply saddened by this incident. We have been praying for this little girl and her family since we learned of it. This incident is terrible and our manager has been completely cooperative with law enforcement. This young man who broke the law is in jail and will face the consequences of our judicial system. We were aware of his misdemeanor conviction but didn't know the circumstances from the previous incident in Saginaw County."

During an interview with WJRT-TV, the mother of the victim the in 2022 attack said she feared Jewell would offend again and that the misdemeanor charge he received was not appropriate.

After news of the attack in Sandusky broke on social media it was revealed Jewell had been staying at a shelter in Sandusky.

The founder of the Michigan House of Hope Shelter and the Hope Thrift Store where the alleged incident happened in Sandusky is also the Sandusky Police Chief.

People on social media and people living in the community have questioned safety measures surrounding the shelter and the people housed there. 

Police Chief Lester responded to the allegations by saying:

We don't accept sex offenders. Our practice is to not accept men from outside the Thumb Area (Sanilac, Tuscola, and Huron Counties) unless they are from the Thumb or have family connections to the Thumb. The young man who was arrested has family in Sanilac County. We do the best background checks that are available to a nonprofit organization. 

I have reached out to Sanilac County Prosecutor Brenda Sanford to ask her why Jewell was not charged with attempted kidnapping or kidnapping. I have not yet heard back from her.

There has also been criticism online of the manager of the thrift store for his actions on the day of the alleged incident.

Kitchen tells me the manager of the thrift store was sticking up for Jewell. Kitchen said the manager told her he did not have surveillance video of the alleged incident. Kitchen said the manager told her the security footage stopped just before the alleged incident took place.

Chief Lester also responded to the allegations against the manager:

We are aware of the social media posts placing blame on the mission and the manager. Our manager has come through our mission. He has nonviolent felonies in his past. He takes full responsibility of his past and has been transparent with his background. He was homeless, he was hopeless and now he helps others going through these same situations.

Sources tell me Sanilac County officials are in the process of launching an investigation into the shelter and the thrift store.

I asked Chief Lester if he is concerned with a possible conflict of interest because it is his department investigating the alleged assault and he is also the president of the shelter.

Lester responded by saying:

This incident needed immediate law enforcement response and attention and that was provided by the Sandusky Police Department. The micro SD card containing all the store video was turned over and is being held as evidence. It will be taken to the Michigan State Police Crime lab to be downloaded for the Sanilac County Prosecutor’s office.

I will continue to update you as get more on this story that I first broke.