Possible Serial Groper Targets Women At U-M
ANN ARBOR (WWJ) - Three female University of Michigan students reported being sexually assaulted by a short Asian man in separate incidents over Labor Day weekend.
Police said two of the incidents happened on campus; the other while a student walked to her off-campus home.
"There are ... slight variances in the descriptions," said U-M police spokesperson Diane Brown. "But it is uncertain at this point whether or not these are indeed related or if they are just, coincidentally, three very separate incidents within a short period of time."
On Sunday, one woman said she was walking home from the Ruthven Museum between 5 and 6 p.m. when she was approached by a man who spoke to her in Chinese and some English with a thick native Chinese accent. He rubbed her elbow and grabbed her buttocks during the encounter. The suspect is described as a Chinese male, five feet seven inches tall with short hair, an average build and a clean, neat appearance.
Another woman said a man grabbed her leg and her chest as she attended a football viewing party at the Big House on Monday. The suspect is described as an Asian male with light skin, five feet six inches tall and 180 pounds. He had a stocky, muscular build, a black buzz haircut, was clean-shaven, with a broad nose and a round face. He was wearing pink shorts, blue sunglasses and a baseball cap. The woman said her attacker had a higher voice but no foreign accent.
In an off-campus incident early Monday, another U-M student said a man jumped up behind her as she walked along Washtenaw Ave., grabbing her chest and crotch. She screamed and the man fled on foot. The suspect is described as an Asian man about five feet six inches tall and 20 years old. He was wearing a baseball cap.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the U-M Department of Public Safety at 734-763-1131 or the Ann Arbor Police Department Tip Line 734-794-6939. You can also email your tip to tips@a2gov.org.
Meantime, U-M police remind those who are out at night to look assertive and be aware of their surroundings, have their keys in hand, and walk with a trusted friend or co-worker whenever possible.
