Suspect in Livonia jogger assault pleads guilty
The Berkley man charged with attacking a female jogger in Livonia and questioned about a Farmington Hills woman’s disappearance pleaded guilty in the Livonia assault.
During a scheduled pre-trial conference Tuesday, prosecutors and the defense attorney for Floyd Galloway Jr., 30, told Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Mark Slavens they arrived at a plea deal in the case. The agreement came 11 days after he rejected a plea deal on the charges.
Under the deal, Galloway pleaded guilty to kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct-assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder by strangulation. In exchange for the plea, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office dropped an assault with intent to murder.
He is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Dec. 8 and faces 16-35 years in prison for the kidnapping charge, plus 61/2-10 years for the other two charges. The sentences for the last two charges will be served concurrently to the kidnapping sentence.
Slavens ordered him to held in jail until sentencing, based on a recommendation from prosecutor’s office.
Galloway must also register as a sex offender, receive sex offender counseling while in prison and not have any contact with the victim after being released. She was in court but prosecutors and police asked the media to not photographer her.
In the previous deal, he would have received 15-35 years for a guilty plea on the kidnapping, intent to commit criminal sexual conduct with penetration and assault by strangulation charges. Authorities would have dropped the assault with intent to murder charge. He faced up to life in prison for the assault with the intent to commit murder charge and the kidnapping charge.
As part of the agreement, Galloway briefly recounted the events of the attack. “I saw this woman jogging and when she passed me I threw her to the ground,” he told the judge. “I did all this in order to have sex with her.”
His attorney, John Dakmak, later told the media his client changed his mind about a plea deal after much consideration.
“I think this is something my client has been dealing with for a long time and there was a lot at stake in this case,” Dakmak said. “This was his decision. He was ready to do this.”
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement: “We are very pleased that the defendant chose to accept responsibility for the crimes that he committed.”
Authorities accused Galloway of grabbing a 28-year-old female jogger on Sept. 4, 2016, as she ran through Edward Hines Park near Levan Road in Livonia and then repeatedly choking her.
The victim told police she was grabbed from behind, dragged down an embankment while being punched and strangled to the point of losing consciousness. Police also said the suspect demanded sex while he attacked her. She fought back and the man ran off. She was able to flag down a car before contacting police, according to authorities.
He was arrested in June and charged.
Police have questioned Galloway in the disappearance of Danielle Stislicki, a Farmington Hills woman who vanished in December. They have also searched his Berkley home.
Galloway is a former security guard who worked for a company that previously provided security at the building in Southfield where Stislicki was employed. Galloway was acquainted with Stislicki during his security duties.
Members of Stislicki’s family, including her mother, Ann Stislicki, and sister, Holly Stislicki, were at Galloway’s hearing Tuesday.
She spoke to the media after the hearing.
“We came here today to represent Danielle,” Ann Stislicki said. She said they wanted Floyd to know “ that we’re here and we’re going to continue to be here until justice is served in Danielle Stislicki’s case.”
cramirez@detroitnews.com