Attempted Sexual Assault Suspect Wanted After Campus Attack
By Tom Mustin
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Police on the University of Colorado campus are searching for a man who tried to sexually assault a woman near the Macky Auditorium. Students are on alert after the attack.
"It did kind of scare me because it happened right here, right next to my building," student Rachel Wilcox told CBS4's Tom Mustin. "You don't know if you're safe or not."
The CU Boulder Police Department was notified of an attempted sexual assault about 1 a.m. on Sunday. A police officer was flagged down and notified of the crime that had occurred minutes earlier near the intersection of 17th Street and University Avenue just north of Macky Auditorium.
A man came up from behind and put his arm around her. When she resisted, he grabbed her shirt and pulled her to the ground. She fought him off and the man sprinted from the scene, south toward Macky Auditorium.
"It is disturbing," said Scott Pribble with the CU Boulder Police Department.
There have been four attacks on or near campus since the fall semester started last month. Pribble says this latest suspect doesn't match the other descriptions. Right now, the department has no leads.
"We know that he's described a college age, but we don't know yet if he is a student," said Pribble.
The suspect is described as a college-age black male, 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 with an average build. The man had a small and shaggy beard and mustache and was wearing a CU sweatshirt and long pants.
"You know, it is disturbing that this happens. Unfortunately this happens but that doesn't mean that it's something that we accept. We obviously want people to tell us about this and so we want our students and faculty and staff to know that if something like this does happen to them they should reach out to us so we can investigate," said Pribble.
Freshman Phoebe Holman says this latest incident, has been especially disturbing.
"It is kind of scary. I don't, like, I feel safe but I also don't like being alone. It kind of freaks me out. So I don't want to be alone a lot especially at night," said Holman.
After hearing of the attack, Rachel Wilcox ordered pepper spray, "I just ordered it after this incident."
Rachel says she's always been cautious while walking along bike paths or underpasses. But after this latest attack, she's learned some valuable lessons.
"Always travel with a person. Never go alone. Especially being a female. If you're alone you're way more of a target."
Additional Information from CU Police:
CUPD is currently investigating the incident. Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666. If you wish to share information anonymously, information on contacting Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers is available at http://www.colorado.edu/police/records-reports/anonymous-reporting.
Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Connect with Tom on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @TomCBS4.
