Police and officials at University of Maryland?s College Park campus are beefing up security after a man suspected in a sexual assault and at least six Peeping Tom/indecent-exposure incidents in the past year struck again last week, assaulting two more women.
The Prince George?s Police Department has increased the number of undercover police officers in the Old Town College Park area where all of the incidents have occurred, Maj. Kevin Davis said Monday.
In addition, police officers will more frequently stop people, particularly males, who are out between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., according to Davis. “We are going to be talking to some folks and that may or may not make people uncomfortable,” he told several dozen students at forum on Monday to address the latest incidents.
U.Md. police spokesman Paul Dillon said there also will be additional university police officers patrolling the area, and campus police might stop more people during the same hours.
The university will have three free NITE Ride service vans over the next two weeks, including one dedicated to transporting students to and from the Old Town area.
The suspect, described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall and 160 pounds, entered a house on the 7500 block of Dickinson Avenue at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday. He crawled into bed with a woman and her boyfriend and sexually assaulted the woman, police said.
In the second incident, the suspect entered a house on the 4600 block of College Avenue, kissed one woman on her forehead as she slept, got in bed with a second woman, and then sexually assaulted a third victim, according a U.Md. crime alert.
“We don?t have a particular suspect in mind,” Davis said. “We have some folks that are of interest.”
Several female students told The Examiner on Monday that last week?s incidents didn?t make them more worried. “This just solidifies the fears I had to begin with, said Kate Fitzsimons, a 20-year-old junior who lives off campus in College Park.
Prince George?s police are recommending that students be vigilant about locking their doors, advised them to walk in groups and said they could purchase motion detectors to secure their rooms.
