TUCSON, AZ - Within the last seven days, three different women were allegedly groped, followed and nearly abducted. Each incident happened within a mile of each other and all of the women are University of Arizona students.
According to FOX News, Tucson police are actively searching for the suspect who has been described as a heavy-set Hispanic male with a dark complexion. He is said to have buzz-cut hair, stands between 5-feet, 10-inches and 6-feet tall, and was last seen wearing an orange shirt and jeans.
During a press conference held on Wednesday, December 13, Tucson Assistant Police Chief Christopher Denninson said that the most recent attack happened on Monday night, December 11, when a man allegedly grabbed a woman around her waist and fondled her over her clothes.
He said, "At some point, a male suspect parked the vehicle, got out and grabbed her from behind. The victim, while being physically restrained, dropped to the ground and started screaming. The suspect released the victim and ran to his vehicle before driving away."
Prior to this recent incident, two other women reported very similar incidents. They reportedly told police that they were followed by a man driving a purple or dark-blue car, possibly an early 2000s Toyota Camry or Corolla with a dented front bumper and tinted windows. They said that the license plate had Arizona tags, but it was either faded or flaking off.
On December 6 and then again on December 7, two different women said that a man got out of his car and grabbed them from behind. However, he took off once they started screaming. Police said that all three above mentioned incidents happened within a mile radius near the University of Arizona campus.
All alleged victims are students at the university. Police said that none of the victims were physically harmed by the suspect. Denninson said that after learning of the circumstances surrounding the December 11 "attempted abduction" and how similar it was to the previous two, university officials bolstered security around campus.
University of Arizona Police Department Police Chief Chris Olson said in a statement, "UAPD is enhancing its patrol capabilities to provide a higher level of visibility and engagement. UAPD will utilize police officers, safety aides, and student community service officers to accomplish this."
At the press conference, Denninson urged members of the public to "stay vigilant" and to report any suspicious activity to police or to call 911. He said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service, UAPD, and the Oro Valley Police Department are assisting in the ongoing investigation.
During UAPD's press conference, Olson said "spatial awareness" is key to avoid becoming a victim of a potential attack. He said for students to take one ear bud out so they can hear things happening around them and to share their phone's location with someone they trust.
Olson's hopes are that with additional precautions the number of these types of incidents will go down. However, until then, he said that students can expect to see the campus and surrounding areas "saturated with police."
All three alleged victims who came forward to share their stories were profusely thanked by law enforcement for their courage. Olson said, "I realize how scary that is and I commend their bravery. We recognize that safety is our number one policy, our first priority."
One way that residents with security cameras or doorbell cameras can help police keep the streets safe is by registering their camera. Once registered, police will be able to know who to call for footage should a crime occur in a certain area.
Police confirmed that registering a camera does not give them the right to search for a resident's recorded footage nor are residents required to turn over their video. Police said that having the system registered simply helps police expedite their process.
Police encourage anyone with any information about the incident or has surveillance video to call 911 or 88-CRIME, their anonymous tips line.
According to FOX News, Tucson police are actively searching for the suspect who has been described as a heavy-set Hispanic male with a dark complexion. He is said to have buzz-cut hair, stands between 5-feet, 10-inches and 6-feet tall, and was last seen wearing an orange shirt and jeans.
During a press conference held on Wednesday, December 13, Tucson Assistant Police Chief Christopher Denninson said that the most recent attack happened on Monday night, December 11, when a man allegedly grabbed a woman around her waist and fondled her over her clothes.
He said, "At some point, a male suspect parked the vehicle, got out and grabbed her from behind. The victim, while being physically restrained, dropped to the ground and started screaming. The suspect released the victim and ran to his vehicle before driving away."
Prior to this recent incident, two other women reported very similar incidents. They reportedly told police that they were followed by a man driving a purple or dark-blue car, possibly an early 2000s Toyota Camry or Corolla with a dented front bumper and tinted windows. They said that the license plate had Arizona tags, but it was either faded or flaking off.
On December 6 and then again on December 7, two different women said that a man got out of his car and grabbed them from behind. However, he took off once they started screaming. Police said that all three above mentioned incidents happened within a mile radius near the University of Arizona campus.
All alleged victims are students at the university. Police said that none of the victims were physically harmed by the suspect. Denninson said that after learning of the circumstances surrounding the December 11 "attempted abduction" and how similar it was to the previous two, university officials bolstered security around campus.
University of Arizona Police Department Police Chief Chris Olson said in a statement, "UAPD is enhancing its patrol capabilities to provide a higher level of visibility and engagement. UAPD will utilize police officers, safety aides, and student community service officers to accomplish this."
At the press conference, Denninson urged members of the public to "stay vigilant" and to report any suspicious activity to police or to call 911. He said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service, UAPD, and the Oro Valley Police Department are assisting in the ongoing investigation.
During UAPD's press conference, Olson said "spatial awareness" is key to avoid becoming a victim of a potential attack. He said for students to take one ear bud out so they can hear things happening around them and to share their phone's location with someone they trust.
Olson's hopes are that with additional precautions the number of these types of incidents will go down. However, until then, he said that students can expect to see the campus and surrounding areas "saturated with police."
All three alleged victims who came forward to share their stories were profusely thanked by law enforcement for their courage. Olson said, "I realize how scary that is and I commend their bravery. We recognize that safety is our number one policy, our first priority."
One way that residents with security cameras or doorbell cameras can help police keep the streets safe is by registering their camera. Once registered, police will be able to know who to call for footage should a crime occur in a certain area.
Police confirmed that registering a camera does not give them the right to search for a resident's recorded footage nor are residents required to turn over their video. Police said that having the system registered simply helps police expedite their process.
Police encourage anyone with any information about the incident or has surveillance video to call 911 or 88-CRIME, their anonymous tips line.
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