Assault suspect stopped, released

A suspect was apprehended in connection with the assault of a female Penn ROTC student outside the Hollenback Center at 3000 South Street early Saturday morning.

However, police were unable to keep the suspect in custody because the victim could not give a 100 percent positive identification.

"We apprehended an individual but were unable to make an arrest," Detective Supervisor Frank DeMeo said.

The man was apprehended on Saturday, several hours after the incident occurred.

Gunnery Sgt. Marvin Dixon, who works at the Hollenback Center, said that he has seen the man who was apprehended in the area before, and recognized him that morning on his way to work. He stated that the man is a transient who lives in the area.

"I saw him that morning before I came in at six o'clock," Dixon said. "I told [the female ROTC students] to watch for him when they went downstairs."

Although the incident had already occurred at that point, Dixon said he was not made aware of it until later that morning, when the victim approached him and told him what had happened. At that point, Penn Police were called.

According to Penn Police reports, the female student was approached by an unknown male just outside the Hollenback Center at about 5:55 a.m. on Saturday.

"He was trying to act like he was waiting on the rest of a group to come," Dixon said. "He was looking inside [the building] with her."

The man then got behind her and approached her from the back. The student reported that she was uncertain whether or not he had a weapon.

"He appears to have coaxed her down," Dixon said. "Not knowing [if he had a weapon], she did whatever he said. He grabbed her by the neck and kissed her ear."

According to police, the man reached the second landing on the stairs outside the building, but then released the student and fled the scene. Police say he saw another person nearby and was frightened off. The student immediately went into the building, but did not report the incident for over an hour.

While it is necessary for ROTC students to be out very early in the morning, the ROTC program is now emphasizing that students should walk in groups, especially when it is still dark. Although this has always been a recommendation, the policy is now being more actively promoted.

The students "just have to use common sense," Dixon said.

Penn Police are still investigating the incident and treating it as an assault. According to Penn Police policy, the incident is not being classified as sexual assault.

"It is an open job, and we intend to follow through with it," DeMeo said. "We will treat the incident as an assault unless something else shows us differently."

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