BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The University of Vermont Police are investigating a recent attempted sexual assault downtown, as well as a separate — but possibly related — incident involving a man acting suspiciously on campus. The case has raised questions about how Burlington Police responded to the initial call.
Word of recent suspicious incidents on or near the UVM campus has students on alert.
“it definitely is a little concerning, especially as a woman. I’ve moved my runs earlier in the evening,” said Tovsah Williams, a UVM sophomore
“We got these CAT alerts, like we got this image of this dude, try to ask us to identify them if we could. I haven’t seen him around,” said Vaughn Wilde, a first-year UVM student.
The first incident occurred around 1 a.m. November 2nd. Burlington Police say a woman was walking near the intersection of Maple and South Prospect Streets when she was tackled into some bushes and the suspect tried to rip off her clothes. They say bystanders pulled him away and that he fled.
Although Burlington Police responded immediately, they did not report the attempted sexual assault near the UVM campus to UVM Police untill Friday, six days later. UVM Police then let the public know.
“I just know when we were notified about it. I think there could be more efforts for a more timely response,” Williams said.
Although it’s not clear who was involved, UVM Police say once they were made aware, they put out a campus-wide alert and took over the investigation. They also soon reported a second incident, a suspicious man seen on campus. They say they briefly detained him on Sunday but that he fled. It’s unclear if this is the same man from the first incident. Police want you to call them immediately if you see this man and they say do not approach him. They also want to hear from anyone who can identify him. Call the UVM Police at 802-656-3473.
After a request for comment last week, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad on Tuesday said the report came in as a simple assault and that the possible sexual element was unconfirmed. He says officers were never able to connect with the alleged victim. Murad added that it is now a UVM case and BPD is not assisting.
UVM Police declined to comment on the six-day lag in reporting the incident.