Polk County Superior Court seated a jury around 10:30 a.m. today in a rape/armed robbery case.

The defendant, Frank James Hawkins Jr., of 939 Cleo St., Cedartown, was 17 when arrested by the Cedartown Police Department in April.

Hawkins is on trial for rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

The victim, a woman, was shot in the leg with a small caliber handgun. Her name is being withheld in keeping with The Polk Fishwrap's normal policy in sexual assault cases.

Cedartown police became involved after a 911 call from the victim on the night of Thursday, April 16.

The victim had called requesting assistance. She was transported to Floyd Medical Center that night.

According to the initial investigation, Hawkins was a passenger in the woman's vehicle. The victim said Hawkins threatened her at gunpoint and forced her to drive to a local bank. She was then forced to withdraw money from her checking account through the automatic teller machine, still at gunpoint, police said.

At some point during this kidnapping and armed robbery incident, the woman was shot. Her passenger then forced her, still at gunpoint, to drive him to another location in Cedartown, where he exited the vehicle.

Based on a description and other information from the witness, an arrest warrant was issued the next morning and Hawkins was taken into custody at a local residence.

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