OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Greg Joseph DuJardine, 60, has been identified and charged as the man who allegedly followed a woman in her vehicle in Ottawa County on Sept. 8 before purposefully causing a crash and sexually assaulting her when she exited her vehicle.
DuJardine, from Muskegon, was initially jailed in Muskegon County for a Parole Violation. He was on parole for another sexual assault charge from 1988.
DuJardine had also previously been convicted in 1981 in Ottawa County Circuit Court for Receiving and Concealing and in 1986 for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree in Grand Haven Circuit Court. He spent 30 years in prison for sexual assaults on women in the greater Grand Haven area.
Since his arrest, police said detectives have been investigating him for the assault in early Sept. Investigators presented the case to the Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and formal charges were authorized on Sept. 19.
DuJardine is now being held in the Ottawa County Jail after being arraigned on charges of Criminal Sexual Conduct-Second Degree (Causing injury) and Habitual Offender-4th Offense Notice. His bond was set at $500,000.
According to court documents obtained by 13 ON YOUR SIDE, a 24-year-old woman was leaving the Duncan Woods Park in Grand Haven around 8 p.m. on Sept. 8 after enjoying a picnic with her friends when she began driving southbound on US-31 and a man in a silver Ford Edge began following her.
The man, now identified as DuJardine, allegedly hit the woman's car multiple times while driving slow speeds on US-31 and Lake Michigan Dr. The woman continued driving toward her home while he continued to follow. When she noticed he was still following her, deputies said she pulled into a gas station assuming he wanted to file a police report.
Deputies said the woman chose the gas station as it was a high-visibility environment. She exited her vehicle and began to observe the damage to the back of it. Deputies said she noted there was no damage.
The woman told deputies that DuJardine then approached her, initially being friendly, before he then put his arm around her waist, his head on her chest and his hand between her legs.
The woman said she believed the man was trying to kidnap her, as he was trying to pull her toward his car, and she began fighting back by punching and hitting him. The documents say she was extremely upset and crying, and then DuJardine allegedly slapped her in the face, causing a bruise.
After the man slapped her, he returned to his vehicle. The woman then took out her phone and began taking a video. Police said the video shows a man in a silver SUV backing up into traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road and running a stop sign as he traveled northbound on US-31.
The video also gave authorities an image of DuJardine and his license plate, which investigators traced back to him. The woman then called 911 to report the crime.
Since DuJardine was on parole for the previous assault in 1988 investigators were able to look at the location of his GPS tether on the date of the Sept. 8 assault, which traced his location to Duncan Woods Park and the gas station at the times the woman had shared with police.
Authorities arrested DuJardine at his place of work in Muskegon. Upon his arrest, he admitted to being at Duncan Woods on Sept. 8, and said he had noticed the woman's car. He denied knowing the woman, but police said he did describe his physical preferences in women. Police noted that the woman he allegedly assaulted fit that description.
He went on to admit to hitting the woman's vehicle slightly, speaking with her at the gas station and putting his arms around her. However, he denied touching her genitals. He admitted to police that when the woman pushed him away he did hit her.
At that time he was arrested for technical violation of his parole. Police were then able to search his phone and found that he had been visiting West Michigan beaches and taking photos of unsuspecting women in bathing suits.
Captain Jake Sparks with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said the woman did everything right in this situation, and don't be afraid to call authorities.
"I would just always encourage people to contact 911. I know sometimes the hands-free law, people might get concerned about getting on their phone, but that's a reason to get on your phone," Sparks said. "It doesn't violate that law if you have to summon help or call 911 from your phone."
Because of his previous sex offenses, Sparks said there is a concern that this wasn't the man's first offense like this.
The Michigan Department of Corrections confirmed to 13 On Your Side DuJardine was granted parole after a hearing conducted under the provisions of the Lifer Law on Nov. 2 of last year. He was released on parole on Jan. 9 of this year.
The investigation is still ongoing and anyone who witnessed this or may have had similar contact with the suspect is asked to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office at 616-738-4000 or Silent Observer at 1-877-88-SILENT (745368) or mosotips.com.
