Retired Novi Fire captain ordered to trial on felony sex assault, home invasion charges

PLYMOUTH — A retired Novi Fire Department captain has been ordered to stand trial in connection with the alleged home invasion and sexual assault of a Canton Township neighbor in May.

Ramon Alvarez, 56, is charged with first-degree home invasion, second-degree criminal sexual conduct during a felony, and assaulting/resisting/obstructing a police officer. All three counts are felony charges.

At a preliminary exam Friday, June 9, in Plymouth's 35th District Court, Judge James Plakas ruled there was enough evidence to bind Alvarez over to circuit court.

A woman identified as the May 18 home invasion and sexual assault victim gave emotional testimony about the experience in her Canton Township home.

Hometown Life does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The woman said she was sitting in the living room of her home on Willard Drive when she saw Alvarez, her neighbor, walk by her front window, and then heard him in her garage.

When she opened the door to the garage, she said, Alvarez pushed his way into her home and used one hand to grab her shirt and her hair near her shoulder as he attempted to remove pieces of her clothing.

"He just lunged at me," she said. "He started screaming…‘I love you,’ and lunged at me.

"I started screaming to stop. I instantly knew something was not right and I just was screaming, ‘get out, get out, get out’."

The woman said she kicked, punched, bit and hit Alvarez with a stack of plastic plates as she tried to get him out of the house through the garage door in hopes that a neighbor would hear her screaming and come to help.

After a struggle, the woman said she managed to get Alvarez into the driveway where he continued his attempt to forcibly remove pieces of her clothing and touch her.

When a neighbor came to her aid, the woman said she was able to run into her home and lock the door.

At the defense table, Alvarez hung his head during the testimony.

Alvarez's attorney, Michael J. McCarthy, based most of his questioning on whether Alvarez's behavior was out of character in the victim's experience.

The woman, who previously noted she'd known Alvarez 23 years, said the behavior was out of character and agreed his "I love you" declarations did not "make sense."

Canton Police Sgt. Matthew Roberson was the second and final witness to take the stand in Friday's exam, which lasted less than 30 minutes.

Roberson testified he knew Alvarez before the May 18 incident and that he tried to reason with him at the scene, but Alvarez did not comply and fought with both police and EMS.

McCarthy asked Roberson if he knew Alvarez suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I’ve heard that," Roberson said. He also said Alvarez's behavior was out of character, in his experience.

Outside the courtroom, McCarthy declined comment.

As of Friday evening, Alvarez remained jailed on $300,000 bond.

His arraignment to circuit court was set for Friday, June 16.

Contact reporter Laura Colvin at [email protected] or 248-221-8143.

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