Arraignment Delayed For Suspect In Wayne County LGBTQ Robberies

DETROIT — An Indiana man accused of targeting people from the LBGTQ community from Wayne County in a series of armed robberies and a murder is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning.

Diabolique Paris Johnson, who is charged with murder, armed robbery and felony firearm, is expected to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Friday in 36th District Court in Detroit, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Johnson was extradited from Indiana and was originally expected to be arraigned Wednesday, prosecutors said. The arraignment was delayed due to issues transporting Johnson to court, officials said.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said her department was assisted in its investigation by the Fair Michigan Justice Project, which she said assists Michigan law enforcement officers and prosecutors in solving serious crimes against the LGBTQ community.

Prosecutors said Johnson is accused of robbing a 26-year-old Detroit man in Dearborn on Sept. 1 while at a hotel in the 24130 block of Michigan Avenue. Prosecutors said they issued an arrest warrant for Johnson on Sept. 21, before he was in custody.

Johnson also is accused of killing a 39-year-old Detroit man during an armed robbery on Woodbine in Detroit on Sept. 5, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors believe Johnson targeted both victims on online dating apps because they were members of the LGBTQ. More information will be released in future court hearings, prosecutors said.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel created the Hate Crimes Unit at her office in 2019 to investigate and prosecute hate crimes that include victims targeted based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Nessel has offered county prosecutors across the state assistance with their hate crimes prosecutions, with this case being the first time Worthy and Nessel worked together on such an investigation.