Man charged with two rapes at floodwall

HUNTINGTON — Good police work, a traffic stop and luck helped Huntington police solve two rapes.

Michael Vincent Cummings, 31, of Huntington was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault and three misdemeanor traffic violations, according to  criminal complaints filed in Cabell County Magistrate Court.

The assault charges are linked to two reported rapes. They occurred Feb. 14 and April 30 at intersection of the city’s floodwall and 5th Street. The victims were different women who gave very similar stories, said Huntington Police Det. Chris Sperry.

The detective said he has no reason to believe more victims exist.

Wednesday’s arrest followed Patrol Officer Mike Hudson spotting a dark-colored vehicle. Two of the driver’s front teeth were in poor condition. Those items matched the only information police had about the rapes, but Sperry said it was enough to crack the case.

Cummings was detained on a $20,600 bond at the Western Regional Jail, according to court and jail records.

The complaints charge Cummings with walking two women across the floodwall. He forced both women to remove their clothes as they crossed the barrier. He assaulted both women when they arrived on the riverside. A knife was used in both attacks, according to the criminal complaints.

The earlier incident involved Cummings hitting the woman with an object and forcing her to bend over. The sexual assault followed, according to the complaint.

Both women told police their attacker was armed with a folding knife, the complaints state. Sperry said a similar knife was recovered from the vehicle at Wednesday’s traffic stop.

Officers had tried to solve the case by checking state motor vehicle records. They also obtained video surveillance from the area, but Sperry said the vehicle was too far from the camera. They only could obtain a general description.

The patrol unit took that description and continued searching for the vehicle. Hudson noticed the matching vehicle. Its improper registration provided reason for the traffic stop. Sperry arrived to provide assistance. The officers spotted the driver’s teeth and inquired about the rapes.

“I looked at the car. I looked at him, and I go, ‘Holy smoke. It’s got to be him,’ ” he said.

Cummings provide police with a statement and denied the rape allegations, Sperry said. He claimed the women were prostitutes, but Sperry said the victims have no criminal record.