DENVER — Students got a warning about a frightening crime on the Auraria Campus Tuesday.
Police are investigating a stranger who stalked and then grabbed a female student.
The bold move happened in broad daylight while the student walked on campus with a friend.
Her feeling that she was being followed turned out to be true.
It was an unwanted education in the crime of stalking.
A student and her friend noticed a man following them from the Tivoli Student Union to Metropolitan State University Arts Building about 2 p.m.
They tried losing him by ducking into the women’s restroom on the first floor.
“The suspect apparently tried to grab her and kiss her as she was going into the restroom and she reported this to the police department,” said Katy Brown, spokesperson for the Auraria Campus.
And it may not have been the first time the man followed the victim. She told police she saw him at the Auraria West Light Rail Station twice, last Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
Students say they hadn’t heard anything about it yet and they wanted some answers.
“Definitely what he looks like so we can keep an eye out and keep our guard up. It’s definitely scary,” said freshman student Franchesca Amaya.
Here is the suspect’s description:
- White man, mid-20s
- 6’1″
- 160 to 170 lbs.
- Medium-short blonde hair
- Slight facial hair
“They are currently reviewing surveillance video and have real good description of the suspect and from there we’ll see what we can come up with in terms of finding him,” said Brown.
Until then, Brown reminded students to take precautions:
- Walk in groups
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Know help is just a phone call away at Blue Light Emergency Telephones all around campus
“They (Auraria Campus) have been extremely helpful and they were the ones who let me know from the beginning, I want to be safe. It’s a big city. So you have to be careful,” said Sophomore Samantha Black.
In May, police investigated an attempted rape inside a classroom on campus. Police did later arrest a transient for that crime.
If you know anything about this stalking incident, call Auraria Campus Police at 720-593-TIPS (8477).