Detroit Man Accused Of Beating Woman With Tire Iron

DETROIT, MI — A Detroit man has been accused by Wayne County Prosecutors of using a tire iron to beat a 35-year-old woman and her 5-year-old son Thursday while they drove through southeast Michigan.

Joel Eloy Santos-Santos, 23, is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felonious assault, fourth-degree fleeing and eluding and domestic violence. He was arraigned Saturday and given a $7,500 bail and GPS tether.

Prosecutors said that at around 7 a.m. Thursday a Taylor police officer was in the area of eastbound I-94 and Monroe in Taylor when he saw a female driver exit the freeway while screaming for assistance and pointing to the male passenger in the vehicle.

The officer approached the vehicle and the man forced the woman out of the car before speeding away from the scene, police said.

The officer saw the victim’s obvious injuries and medics arrived and transported her to a
local hospital, police said. Due to a language barrier, it became known at the hospital that there were two children in the rear seat of the vehicle, a 5-year-old boy and an 8-month old girl, police said.

The suspect continued to flee into Detroit at high rates of speed until crashing in the area of the
Davison Freeway and eastbound I-96, according to police. Officers said they arrived to the scene and arrested the man. The children were taken to a local hospital, police said.

Police said Santos beat the victim in the head and body with a tire-iron as she was driving the vehicle. Earlier in the morning, police said, Santos struck the 5-year-old boy in the head.

Santos will appear in court again for a probable cause conference on July 6. Preliminary examination is scheduled for July 13.