Simpson sophomore charged with first-degree robbery

by Ashley Smith, Editor-in-Chief
April 21, 2016

A Simpson student was arrested Wednesday after committing armed robbery with her boyfriend in Des Moines, according to Des Moines police.

Sophomore Rachael Anna Hammes, 19, who is the president of Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority, and her boyfriend, Malik Jordan Pratt, 20, met a man on the social media app “Meet Me” and asked him to meet her for sex.

Police records show the victim met Hammes at a motel on East 14th Street in Des Moines.

Then Hammes and Pratt robbed the victim at gunpoint in her car.

Pratt took the victim’s car keys and stole $600, an iPhone and his wallet from the car. The two fled the scene in Hammes’ car.

The victim showed the police Hammes’ “Meet Me” profile, which helped them identify and arrest Hammes and Pratt.

Police located Hammes by calling a cellphone number from which she had texted the victim.

Hammes and Pratt were charged with first-degree robbery and were booked into the Polk County Jail.