GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Authorities announced the arrest of a man accused of sexual assault, harassment, and stalking multiple female students at the University of Florida.
Gainesville Police Department Chief Nelson Moya announced the arrest of Riley Washington, 36, during a news conference on Friday afternoon in partnership with the university’s police force.
The chief explained they received reports from multiple victims over the course of several months of a man fitting Washington’s description, touching, harassing, and stalking women.
According to the arrest report, a college student walked alone from the Midtown Plaza on University Avenue to her home on Northwest 24th Street around 2 a.m. on Thursday.
She wasn’t able to get through the locked front door and called her roommate to let her in. That’s when Washington appeared next to her.
The victim says he grabbed her and pulled her close. He then penetrated her with his fingers. She pushed him away and called her roommate, who heard the two struggling. He then ran off.
She described Washington to law enforcement and connected the incident to multiple other female students who’ve reported being grabbed by the same man over the last two months.
Traffic and security cameras showed Washington’s vehicle in the area where the victim was assaulted.
Gainesville Police Department officers engaged in a covert operation in the midtown area on Thursday night. They spotted Washington’s truck and found him hiding in a bush outside a nearby home.
After his arrest, Washington reportedly told detectives he was responsible for the assaults and “is in need of help.”
Officers say additional charges are expected to be filed in the case. He was booked into the Alachua County Jail, and no bond was set as of this report.
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