Last week, we helped lock up three of the most wanted fugitives in metro Detroit - and now our partnership with the US Marshals is taking us to Washtenaw County. That’s where the they are launching a whole new fugitive team and they’re letting 7 Action News get an inside look.
On top of their list is Castillia Cotten. He is one of Washtenaw County’s most wanted.
“This guy’s a coward, he likes to assault women he broke into a house with a female acquaintance, assaulted her, strangled her to the point of she nearly blacks out,” Deputy Robert Watson of the US Marshals Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team (DFAT) said.
The Marshals are teaming up with members of local law enforcement and training them in the toughest of scenarios.
“We are a group of individuals who are highly trained, highly skilled and drastically reduce the odds of something bad happening when we go to apprehend a dangerous felon,” Robert Grubbs US Marshals of the Eastern District of Michigan said.
Cotten goes by Casper, and at 35 years old, he has had 72 contacts with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department alone.
“This is why we’re coming out here, the US Marshals Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team to get guys like this off the street,” Watson said.
This drastically amplifies the resources and bodies protecting Washtenaw County and getting the very worst offenders off the street.
“In 2014 we called on the Marshals 16 times to come in and help apprehend violent felons, people with warrants, suspects in homicide investigations so this is really exciting for us,” Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said.
With the Marshals expertise and Washtenaw County’s local knowledge and relationships in the community – it’s a new team the two say is no match for these violent criminals who have roamed our streets for far too long.
“We train in real life type of scenarios so when you get in to an actual situation you don’t have to think as much, you just react- everybody knows what they’re supposed to do,” Marshal Grubbs said.
Castillia Cotten is 6-feet-tall, 210 pounds and is considered armed and dangerous.
If you have any information call the US Marshals anytime at (313) 234-5656.
There are rewards for all of the fugitives were featuring during our 7 on 7 series.
