The Charlottesville Police Department is searching for a suspect involved in the attempted sexual assault of a University student last weekend.
At about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, a female University student, 20, was able to ward off an attempted sexual assault while walking alone on the 1800 block of Jefferson Park Avenue, according to Sgt. C.R. Smith of the Charlottesville Police Department.
"We had a young female walking along the road by herself," Smith said. "She was approached by an African-American male. He spoke to her and then he grabbed her."
The student was able to struggle out of the man's grasp, spray him with mace and then escape, Smith said.
According to Smith, the suspect is a 5-foot-10 black male who is "clean-shaven, of a muscular build and with short brown hair."
Smith said although it is too early to confirm, she doubts this incident is related to the attempted armed robberies that took place recently by the railroad tracks along Virginia Avenue. Both of those incidents remain under police investigation.
Associate Dean of Students Aaron Laushway said this attempted assault demonstrates students need to be careful when walking around Charlottesville.
"Clearly, we urge and expect our students to take all precautions while traveling, especially in the evening hours, and we strongly recommend that our students travel at least in pairs or in groups, and also along well-lit pathways," Laushway said.
Smith said the Charlottesville Police Department is asking the public for any information or updates.
"We rely on information from the public and that solves a lot of cases for us," Smith said.
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