Davontae Lawler-Stinney

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A 14-year-old girl was rescued after being held captive, raped repeatedly, and threatened with death inside a Marple Township condominium, police announced on Friday, Nov. 21.

Davontae Lawler-Stinney, 38, of Aspen Circle, was taken into custody after officers responded to the 2200 block of Aspen Circle in the Marple Woods Condominium Complex just after 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, according to the Marple Township Police Department.

The girl had been reported missing after running away from her family’s Philadelphia home on Sunday, Nov. 16. She told detectives that on Tuesday, she was picked up at a Sunoco station in Chester by an unknown man and taken to his residence in Marple Township. Police Chief Brandon Graeff said investigators still do not know how she ended up in the suspect’s car.

During interviews, the girl reported being raped five to six times and said the suspect threatened to shoot and kill her if she tried to leave, according to police. She was allegedly held for multiple days inside the condo. Police also said they could not confirm how she later made it back to Chester, where her family located her on Thursday before contacting authorities.

When officers arrived on Aspen Circle, they met the victim and several family members. She was transported to the hospital for treatment. Detectives executed a search warrant at the home and processed the scene through the night.

Charges and Criminal History

Lawler-Stinney is charged with numerous felonies: Rape by Forcible Compulsion, Statutory Sexual Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Sexual Assault, Indecent Assault by Forcible Compulsion, Unlawful Restraint of a Minor, False Imprisonment of a Minor, Interference with Custody of Children, and Strangulation. He is also charged with Misdemeanor Terroristic Threats.

He is a registered Tier 3 Megan’s Law Sex Offender with an extensive criminal record. State records show a prior Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse offense on Nov. 9, 2020, with a conviction entered on June 29, 2023.

Lawler-Stinney is now being held in the Delaware County Prison after failing to post bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4. Court filings list no attorney representing him.

Police Chief’s Statement

“I want the public to know, especially the residents of our Marple Woods community, that Davontae Lawler-Stinney no longer lives among you nor poses a threat,” Police Chief Brandon Graeff wrote in a statement. He credited the victim’s courage and the swift work of officers and detectives for preventing the situation from escalating.

Graeff specifically praised Sgt. Kyle Engelman and Officers Ricky Dempsey and Austin Bleacher for using “incredible de-escalation techniques” during the response. He also thanked Deputy District Attorney Kristen Kemp for her “unyielding support of sex crime victims every day.”