BALTIMORE — Guilty on 21 counts including first degree rape and robbery.
For those crimes, Ishmail Shareef will spend 75 years behind bars.
Baltimore City prosecutors said he preyed on a former co-worker at the Dunkn Donuts on E. 33rd Street.
The horrific incident occurred October 14, 2022, when Shareef and another man entered the Dunkin Donuts and turned out the lights.
Both jumped over the front counter and attacked a female employee, who happened to be the only one working at the time.
The duo dragged the woman across the floor, forcing her into the back freezer.
Shareef remained in the freezer, stabbing the woman in the arm when she refused to take off her pants.
While the victim was being sexually assaulted by Shareef in the freezer, his accomplice was busy stealing $500 from the restaurant's cash register and stock room.
At trial prosecutors presented store camera footage which captured all that occurred, including Shareef pulling up his pants as he walked out of the freezer.
Turns out Shareef and his accomplice each used to work at that Dunkin Donuts.
Detectives identified the men using a combination of area traffic light cameras, speed cameras, residential ring videos, and apartment building security videos showing them walking to and from the Dunkin Donuts.
Shareef's accomplice, whose name is being shielded by the court, ended up cooperating with investigators.
He admitted to planning the robbery with Shareef during a time they knew the victim would be alone.
The accomplice confessed to knowing Shareef's intentions of forcing the woman into the freezer to hurt her, but denied having any prior knowledge that she'd be raped.
“The actions of this defendant are absolutely horrific and have undoubtedly caused immeasurable trauma for the victim and their family,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates.
It's unclear what if any punishment the accomplice will receive.
