Police ask for help in sexual assault cases
By Dan O'Brien, Collegian Staff
October 20, 2005
For the second time in less than a week, the University of Massachusetts police have issued a "crime alert" to seek assistance from the public regarding on-going criminal investigations.
The most recent alert asks for help regarding two assaults on females in the Southwest Residential Area.
Police say they received a report of a female student who "was accosted by an unknown male" when she exited her vehicle in Lot 33 early Wednesday morning.
The suspect is described as white, college-aged with a groomed beard, wearing a baseball cap, a blue hooded sweatshirt with the word "Boston" written in white letters on the front, dark pants and an eyebrow ring.
Anyone with information regarding this case should call UMass police at 413-545-2121 or contact police anonymously online at www.umass.edu/umpd/About_Us/Anonymous_Witness/.
As reported in the Daily Collegian just over one week ago, a female claims to have been sexually assaulted in the area between Lincoln Ave. and Sunset Ave. around 2:18 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 7.
The woman, who was only identified as a 21-year-old UMass student, told police a man approached her and knocked her to the ground. The man touched her breasts, but she was not raped, according to police.
The suspect in this case is described as a college-aged white male, six feet tall, wearing a white t-shirt and a Red Sox hat.
Anyone with information regarding this case should call the Amherst police at 413-256-4015.
A crime alert was lifted on Monday by UMass police regarding a case of vandalism after a suspect in the case turned himself in. The suspect has not been identified, but police confirmed that the suspect is a male UMass student.
On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Patrick Archbald told the Daily Collegian that police are still searching for two other suspects in the case.
UMass police declined comment on any of the cases as of press time.
The University is now offering safety escorts with members of the Residence Hall Security Staff. Any student can call 413-545-2123 Sunday through Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., Thursday from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. for an escort.
The crime alert can be viewed online at www.umass.edu/umpd. Personal safety tips are also available on the Web site.
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Copyright Daniel O�Brien and the Massachusetts Daily Collegian. This article may not be redistributed without written permission under United States law.