The ex-boyfriend of a missing Warren mother is being held on bond after arraignment Thursday on a charge of lying to police in connection with the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Deandre Howard Booker, 32, of Roseville, allegedly “repeatedly lied to police officers and willfully provided false and misleading information in the investigation” from Saturday through Tuesday into the disappearance of Ashley Elkins, who was last seen Jan. 2, according to a news release from the prosecutor’s office.
A recent photograph of Ashley Elkins.
He is charged with lying to a police officer during a violent crime investigation, a four-year felony. He was ordered held on a $250,000 bond during arraignment Thursday in 39th District Court in Roseville. If he posts bond, he must wear a steel GPS tether, according to the release.
It states a probable cause hearing is set for Jan. 22 and a preliminary exam is scheduled for Jan. 29.
Messages were left for an attorney representing Booker at the arraignment. Booker requested a court-appointed attorney, according to the court.
The investigation is ongoing.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the missing woman during this difficult time. Providing false information to law enforcement in a case like this not only hinders the investigation but adds further pain and uncertainty for the loved ones searching for answers. We remain committed to seeking justice and ensuring that every effort is made to bring resolution to this case,” Prosecutor Peter Lucido stated in the release.
On Wednesday night, Roseville police said an arraignment related to the case would occur Thursday morning, but didn’t provide details about the person’s name or charges. Booker was arrested and booked into the Macomb County Jail on Wednesday, according to online jail records.
Roseville and Warren police are investigating Elkins’ disappearance. Her car was found Tuesday around 13 Mile and Little Mack in Roseville, about 4 miles from the apartment complex where Booker lives, which police searched and removed evidence, including a trash dumpster.
On Tuesday, police determined there was “a strong possibility of foul play” involved in the incident, likely occurring in Roseville at the Hampton Court Apartments on Pinehurst, where Elkins may have been, according to a joint release from the two police departments Wednesday.
Family reported the 30-year-old missing to Warren police on Friday. A Warren police release Tuesday stated she left her southeast Warren home the morning of Jan. 2 to run some errands, and investigators confirmed she was last in Roseville that afternoon. Neither family nor law enforcement have been able to make contact with her since.
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Her uncle, Maurice Morton, a Detroit attorney, told the Free Press on Wednesday that Elkins left her home about 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. Jan. 2 to run some errands and never returned. He said her sons, ages 7 and 10, were watched by her younger sister while she was gone.
He said Elkins works as a hairstylist out of her home and planned to start a new job this week with an online casino agency that recently hired her, but she hasn’t shown up.
Morton said Elkins’ mother grew concerned and tried to reach Elkins, but didn’t get the response she thought she would get. He said Elkins’ sister had a tracker on Elkins’ phone, tracking it to Elkins’ ex-boyfriend’s home. He said that was odd as Elkins broke up with her ex-boyfriend in September.
Morton said the ex-boyfriend “was kind of stalking around” a couple of days before Elkins went missing. She refused to open the door for him and he eventually left, Morton said. He said her family was concerned he may have abducted her.
Morton said Elkins’ phone went dead, adding it went straight to voicemail with no response on FaceTime or social media from her, which is “very uncharacteristic of her.” He said Elkins “loves her children and adores her children. She would never not respond, especially to her mother.”
On Wednesday night, Morton said his niece had not been located and that police were still searching for her or her body and had leads to where she might have been taken based on the evidence collected.
Warren police stated it immediately initiated an investigation upon receiving the original missing person’s report and that preliminary indications suggested Elkins may have been at an apartment within the Hampton Court Apartments, where her ex-boyfriend lives.
Roseville police were contacted and responded to the location with Warren investigators, but neither Elkins nor the ex-boyfriend were located at the apartment, according to the joint release.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Roseville Police Detective Matthew Lesperance at 586-447-4505 or lesperance@rosevillepolice.com.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Prosecutor: Ex-boyfriend charged with lying to cops in missing mom case