Charlottesville Police officers have arrested 28-year-old Carlton William Arnold following an investigation of two separate incidents Wednesday evening involving two University students.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, a female University student standing on the 1200 block of Wertland Street was approached by a 20- to 23-year-old black male, described as having a light complexion, and wearing a gray hoody and blue jeans, according to a press release from Charlottesville Police early yesterday.
The suspect told the student 'don't move' after placing a hand on her shoulder, according to the release. After a brief "exchange of conversation," the victim walked away unharmed and without further incident.
Later that evening, however, at about 9:50 p.m., a different female student was approached in the 2100 block of 15th Street NW by a man with a similar description.
The suspect "approached her from behind and put something to her back she believed to be a gun and demanded money under threat of violence," the release stated.
The suspect then walked the female student to several locations to obtain money from her ATM card. After receiving a small amount of money from the student in the Corner area, the suspect fled.
Although this student was unharmed, the report stated that the victim was "fondled" by the suspect at one point.
Arnold was charged with these incidents "after a video of him appeared on the local media and a number of calls were then placed to the police identifying Mr. Arnold," University Police Chief Michael Gibson stated in an e-mail to students late yesterday evening.
Arnold has been charged with abduction by force, robbery with a firearm, aggravated sexual battery, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"These incidents make me feel very unsafe because there has been such a high number of crimes in such a short amount of time," said Claudia Quintero, fourth-year College student and a Wertland Street resident, citing three separate cases of violence in areas heavily populated by students on Sept. 17, 18 and 19. No suspects have been identified regarding those three previous incidents. Lt. Melissa Fielding of the University Police Department said the University and Charlottesville Police departments have increased presence on the Corner and in surrounding areas in response to the influx of crime in off-Grounds locations.
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