Three teens face life sentence in home invasion charge
By Charles Sercombe
The talk in Hamtramck 31st District Court on Tuesday afternoon was the shock in how young they looked.
Too young, court observers said, to have possibly committed the horrible crime they are charged with.
Mind boggling, really.
But the reality is, three 17-year-olds, who apparently have been living on the streets, are being charged with breaking into an 80-year-old woman’s house late at night and beating her on the head with a pry bar.
Repeatedly.
Viciously, police say.
In court, they looked like kids.
Nathanael Haas, of Troy, Andrew DePauw, of Berkley, and Albert Daka, of Hamtramck, face charges of home invasion, assault with intent to rob while armed and two other types of assault charges.
They are being charged as adults and could face a maximum penalty of life in prison, although at their age they will likely face just a few years in prison, investigators say.
Police say that on June 5, at 1:30 a.m., the trio broke into the woman’s house on the 5000 block of Trowbridge St.
The woman was up at the time and managed to call 911 before the three began beating her.
Police arrived in minutes and saw the three striking the woman in the head several times.
The woman, who police decline to identify at this time, survived and was treated for deep cuts to her head.
The three managed to escape before police could get to them.
Thanks to good police work, and the assistance of the Madison Heights K-9 unit, material left behind at the scene led to the arrest of one suspect and then the two others by the next day.
Relatives of the three were in the court, openly sobbing. They told police investigators after the court hearing that all three had a history of trouble at home. All three were apparently living out of a stolen car.
According to Detective Derek Suwalkowski, Daka suggested breaking into the woman’s house because he believed she had money stashed away.
The suspects are being held in Wayne County Jail in lieu of posting a $1 million bond. (Daka was given a $500,000 bond.)
They are scheduled to have a preliminary examination on June 17.
26 Responses to Three teens face life sentence in home invasion charge
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nick
June 13, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Wow, I hope These kids Get Life! Punk ass Little kids
Roger
June 14, 2010 at 3:10 pm
this is what happens when parents dont take responsibility for the lives they’ve created.
I bet none of them were registered as missing.
SANDRA
June 14, 2010 at 6:24 pm
This is really sad,being that i was raise in hamtramck and can remember the days when you can sleep with your doors unlock and when kids had the up most respect for their elderly. But i think you did the crime then you need to pay.
Opus
June 19, 2010 at 10:14 am
The friends of these dirtbags are talking all kinds of smack over on the WDIV website. If any of you scumbags are reading this, I say to you: They are trash, they are no better than animals that deserve to go away for life.
elle
June 24, 2010 at 5:10 am
i was a friend of Albert and Drew. i’m ashamed at them for beating her. it is not true that they were living in the car. but it is true that they were living on the street pretty much. their parents crying is ridiculous. they never cared before but now they want all the publicity and pity they can get. well screw all of them. they beat a poor old lady and its the parents faults too. i’m embarrassed to say i was ever a friend.
Jackie
July 5, 2010 at 9:39 pm
I KNOW HIM!!!!
WE DATED!!!
HOW COULD HE DO THISSS
!!
Jackie
July 5, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Okayyy shut the hell up to who is saying they are trash. NONE of you know what albert went through okayyyyyy. Get that through your selfish little heads/
Roger
July 6, 2010 at 2:06 pm
so, tell us, what do you have to go through to justify trying to beat an old lady to death? well we’re listening…
d
July 10, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Sounds like these kids needed to be beat more when they were younger.
Roger
July 12, 2010 at 1:40 pm
ever since corporal punishment was reclassified as child abuse by the liberals the quality of our children’s respect for rules and laws has gone downhill. when i was a kid, if i got a spanking it was because i deserved it and guess what, i learned my lesson.
Jacqlynn
July 13, 2010 at 11:40 am
I DATED albert and was BEST FRIENDS with nate. Everyone saying that they should die and get life u didnt know them. I’m not proud of what they did but if u knew them you would feel this way too. It’s something that’s hard to deal with for all of the people who knew them. they know what they did and they dont need a bunch of people rubbing it in their faces. Bottom line is that i pretty sure they regret what happend. you guys just didnt know them so u can’t understand why their friends and that are saying things like this and crying in court. if i could of gone i would have. To be there for them.
Cat
August 2, 2010 at 9:50 am
I don’t have to know them to understand why they did this! The fact of the matter is, be resposible…GET A JOB! This is the option they CHOSE! These kids have real deep rooted issues of anger and need to get help. Unfortunately, they may not get the correct help they need. Do the crime, do the time! They’re old enough to understand this and what’s RIGHT and WRONG!
Marilynne
August 7, 2010 at 7:01 am
STOP blaming the parents. It is now a well known fact that criminals are born, not created by their enviroment or a lack of disipline in the home. A child who is a criminal has a genetic disposition to become one, and seeks out others who are like him.
Chrissy
September 1, 2010 at 10:05 pm
The statement that criminals are “born” and not created is pure ignorance and accepted by those with IQ’s under 70. I have been involved in many probate cases and witnessed that the problem usually involves lack of parenting knowledge, not bad parents just bad parenting. To imply that they should have been beat more is even worse….don’t you get it? VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE!!!! Where do you think they learned it from? It’s not for me or anyone to judge them until their day in court comes and then what will be will be.
nick
October 4, 2010 at 11:22 am
i knew one of the kids. what a idiot
Aliah
October 7, 2010 at 10:23 pm
OMG!!! nOOOOO WAAAYYY!!! I was friends with nate for a long time and daka!! that is sooooo super sad!!!! poor things man…very dissapointing! I hope that they dont stay in there for a long time i hope they can get help and rehab! Aww that makes me cry!! all we can do is prayers!
real talk
December 3, 2010 at 12:54 am
To all of you that defend them shut up. What if someone came up to you or someone you know and beat the hell out of you or them with a metal stick. You’re not going to sit there oh what did he go through you’re going to press charges. Don’t sit there and even try to defend this stuff its terrible all of you should be ashamed of yourselves for standing up for them. They beat up a helpless old lady I don’t see anything they could have gone through that would have caused them to do this, they are just plain dumb and don’t use their heads to think.
Ally
January 6, 2011 at 10:02 pm
i know all 3 of them. Nate would NEVER hit an elderly women and he got the most time out of the 3. they are good kids and just made mistake. they dont deserve life.
Smm
January 23, 2011 at 7:44 pm
I new daka bad mistake that he made always made dumb choices and did stupied things. But he had a good heart he does not deserve life, I pray he gets out soon and if he does to strightin out his life.
joe doe
July 29, 2012 at 9:26 pm
I knew them as well, i think they all should spend as much time in their as possible. How would you feel if you got a call saying your grandma is being treated for getting the shit beaten out of her by 3 punk ass kids?
mackspoon
August 22, 2013 at 11:20 am
I was locked up with these dumbass they told me the whole run down before court and then the one who set it up snitched everybody out lmao
MEGAMAN
August 24, 2013 at 7:49 am
These three pieces of crap need to get the same treatment from a few headbusters, to give them a taste of what they did to this poor woman.
Don’t give me the same old story ” HE WAS A GOOD KID I DON’T KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG ” What went wrong ? look in the mirror and see who took part in this wrongdoing. Parents need to pay attention to what the little angels are doing. Do you actually think this was the first time in thier lives for this type of behavior ? No way Jose, These punks would have killed this woman the same way they would have done you or me in if the cops didn’t show up. They could care less about someone elses life. Three real brave punk puss–s
You will get whats coming to you when you get to the big house. We have a special way to treat the young ones who prey on the helpless old. In my day we loved to see whimps like you walk in the joint. Fresh Meat !!!!!
No name
December 6, 2015 at 11:51 pm
Ok really stfu just really I’m so close to daka you wouldn’t even know they were only 17 ok everyone could make a bad decision… Even you! So I would just stop ok. He’s a good kid and really I don’t even know what to say. every time I read this “article” I guess and these comments I really wanna cry because some of you guys don’t know him or any of them so… Just stfu and get outta here cause you don’t even know what he went through. If you had a life like his you probably would’ve done the same sooo…
Jenn
January 13, 2016 at 2:59 pm
Well number one. Most of the things written on this page are false. Number two. One of those kids was never homeless and had a really good life. Number three he was never in the house and also had no idea what happened in the house. So if you believe everything the Internet has to say,well your an idiot than. Get the actual reports and then judge people. Get actual facts. Why would parents say that there kids were troublesome. They wouldn’t exactly my point and if you think people can’t make mistakes well then your just a hypocrite. You’ve made mistakes and everyone deserves another chance. Actually since one of these kids has been out now. He’s accomplished a lot also he is starting a non profit for troubles kids. So if you don’t think learn from their mistakes your wrong.
Jenn
January 13, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Megaman if your a man say that shit to one of their faces. While your hiding behind your computer. See if you have the guts.
x
July 9, 2017 at 8:15 pm
nate should have been out sooner