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(City of Columbia Police Department Reporting)
Date and Time of Incident:
Monday, May 11, 2009
Type of Alert:
Sexual Assault of a USC Student
Location:
Columbiana Mall near Belk
Suspect(s) Description:
Black male; age: 20’s to mid 30’s, height: 5'10"-6'0", thin
build with a goatee. Last seen wearing a gray T-shirt, baggy
jeans and wearing some type of dark-framed glasses.
 
Incident:
The following information is courtesy of Columbia Police
Department and WISTV.com. Updated: May 14, 2009
10:53 PM EDT
Reported by Jordan Sander
Sexual assault suspect sought in three cases
Columbia Police and Forest Acres Police Departments say they are
looking for one man responsible for three separate assaults in
four days. Police say the man assaulted three women by lifting
up their dresses and trying to grope them. "He's a very brazen
individual. He's dangerous, and we need to find him very
quickly," said Capt. Thomas Dodson with the Forest Acres Police
Department.
Police say at 10:30 Thursday morning, the man targeted a 31-year
old female clerk inside Handpicked on Harbison Boulevard. He
said he was shopping for a gift. He waited until two other
customers left the store, and then walked behind the counter and
forced the clerk to the ground.
"She was able to fight him off, a very brave young lady," said
Dodson. Police say the man ran off.
Then at 12:15 he showed up at Midtown at Forest Acres and
approached a 25-year old woman in the parking lot pushing her
baby in a carriage. Without saying a word, he assaulted her.
"Luckily she was able to fight him off as he attempted to fondle
her," said Dodson. Two witnesses chased him away. Witnesses say
the suspect ran out of the mall parking lot, ran across the
street, headed up through some buildings and got away by hoping
over a fence. Police temporarily locked down AC Flora High
School and Crayton Middle School as they searched for him but
couldn't find him.
They believe he's the same man who assaulted another woman
Monday evening in the Columbiana Mall parking lot in front of
Belk. Police want you to be on the look-out. "If you can walk in
pairs, be aware of your surroundings. if you see someone you
think is suspicious, go the other way," said Dodson. In the all
three incidents, the suspect is described as a male in his late
20s to mid 30s, 5'10"-6'0", thin build with a goatee. He was
last seen wearing a gray T-shirt, baggy jeans and wearing some
type of dark-framed glasses.
If you have any information about the suspect,
Call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
Here are several ways to protect yourself from
these types of crimes:
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Be alert
in the community and aware of your surroundings at all
times.
-
Try to
walk places with a friend or friends rather than alone.
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Walk and
park in well-lighted, well-traveled streets.
-
Avoid
shortcuts through wooded areas, parking lots, or alleys.
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If you
think someone is following you, switch directions or cross
the street. If they’re still there, move quickly toward an
open store or restaurant or a lighted house. Don’t be afraid
to yell for help.
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Call
police if you see something that seems suspicious.
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Use the
nearest Call Box to alert the USC Police Department so
they'll know your location and situation.
Be wary of anyone approaching to ask for money,
time, or directions. Criminals do these things to distract their
intended victims.
Trust your gut instinct; don’t be afraid to offend
someone or draw attention to yourself.
Carry a noise making device, such as a whistle or
screech alarm.
Attend a free Personal Safety Program offered by
the University Police. Please contact the Office of Crime Prevention
at 777-0855 or 777-4215.
| For additional safety advice and tips,
contact Cpl. Kenneth Adams at 777-0855 or via e-mail
adamskl@mailbox.sc.edu.
Please be aware of any incidents and report ANY
suspicious activities to the UNIVERSITY POLICE: 911 or
777-4215. To learn how to avoid violent crimes and how to
maximize your personal safety, visit the
Safety Tips page.
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