Man suspected of groping three women in Ann Arbor is arrested
An illegal immigrant was arrested Thursday, suspected of groping three women, including two joggers, during the past week and a half in south Ann Arbor, police said.
The man, who lives in Ann Arbor, was arrested at his home, where officers had been looking for him, Lt. Mark St. Amour said.
Police took him into custody as he pulled up in a car, St. Amour said. The 35-year-old man, who is from Mexico, is charged with three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Police said the man is suspected of grabbing a woman from behind about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday while she was jogging in the 2600 block of South Main Street. He lifted her off the ground and groped her genitals over her clothing, police said. The woman elbowed the man to get away, St. Amour said.
After that attack was publicized in the media Thursday, another woman came forward reporting that a man grabbed her buttocks earlier Wednesday in a parking lot at Briarwood Mall, St. Amour said.
In addition, police took a report from a woman who was jogging near the Briarwood Mall on June 21 when a man rode by on a bicycle and grabbed her buttocks, St. Amour said. The victim reported the attack shortly after it occurred.
The same man is believed to be responsible for all three attacks. Patrol officers were familiar with him because they had prior contact with him while investigating a disturbance, St. Amour said.
The man is being held at the Washtenaw County Jail. He is expected to be arraigned on Saturday.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Contact him at leehiggins@annarbor.com or 734-623-2527.
Comments
spj
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 11:34 a.m.
What on earth does this person's immigration status or nationality have to do with this story? You're no more or less likely to grope people if you're undocumented. Would A2.com write, "the man, who grew up in Indiana but later moved to Ann Arbor after a fight with his second wife . . ."? No, because it would be irrelevant. Same thing with why or how he's in this country.
pbehjatnia
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 2:52 a.m.
ill/legal has got nothing to do with how much crime you commit. stupid has to do with this guy. just go to the bar/club like everybody else and find yourself a buddy. not rocket science.
Townie
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 10:07 p.m.
Good work AAPD! Your reward is the City cutting jobs. So the city's 'management' can pay for their cell phone and text message bills.
racerx
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
Maybe these are just the facts, but i see that A2.com was quick to make it known the race of this person, but held the race of Mark Crist who was arrested for the knifing on Greenwood street during that street fight. Just wondering how the "press" decides when to make the race of a person known and when it doesn't. Just a question.
genetracy
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 9:40 p.m.
Gee, A2.com is going the way of Fox News. They called the guy exactly what is, an illegal immigrant. I remember the good old days when called A2.com everyone arrested in Ann Arbor "homeless".
SFK
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 11:14 a.m.
What?
free
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:47 p.m.
Quote from the Detroit Free Press: Ann Arbor Police Detective Bill "Stanford said the suspect is unemployed and in the country illegally. He was recently sleeping in a laundry room in Hidden Valley Club apartments. Is this the "home" he was arrested at?
Jaime Magiera
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.
It's a quite telling, and somewhat disturbing, that the focus of many comments is the documentation status of the individual -- even claims that this is something endemic to those who are undocumented. Do the people making these claims have any evidence to back this up? I sense the responses are more about xenophobia and fear. In the long run, that does a disservice to the issue at hand. What happened is a certainly a shameful crime, but it's not endemic to any particular race/nationality/resident status/etc. of an individual (e.g. the IMF chief who just resigned). As soon as we start thinking that way, we'll make it much easier for those who don't fit the stereotype to get away with such crimes.
Jaime Magiera
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 9:03 p.m.
Fair enough. <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/tae-kwon-do-instructor-facing-new-sexual-assault-charge/">http://www.annarbor.com/news/crime/tae-kwon-do-instructor-facing-new-sexual-assault-charge/</a>
treetowncartel
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:50 p.m.
I believe you may want find an example other than the IMF chief. It is looking like the sharing of his DNA was consensual.
nicole
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:28 p.m.
Thanks Ann Arbor News for having the guts to identify this guy as an illegal immigrant and not just say he's an immigrant. Glad he's off the streets. But often these guys get sent back and just come right back in. This is why we need to get a handle on illegal immigration.
AlwaysLate
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:50 p.m.
"Splain to me..." How does an illegal alien get a car without proper I.D.? How does an illegal alien get a house without proper I.D.? How does an illegal alien become "familiar with Ann Arbor Police officers" without being detained and turned over to the INS? Sounds to me like the auto dealership, landlord and police all need to be charged with aiding and abetting!
eagleman
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 1:22 a.m.
And what would the root of the problem be? The man should not be here, Atticus. He broke the rules. Should he starve? Nope. Give him a hot meal and a ticket on the next bus to Mexico.
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.
And if we are going to be prosecuting someone for aiding and abetting, shouldn't it be the people who hire them? I guess you would rather turn our country into a police state than to put responsability on the true cause of the problem.
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.
Perhaps we could require ID to buy food to. If you loose you wallet, you starve. Then we could be living in a total police state... Thats what you want isn't it?
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:01 p.m.
No human being is illegal!!! We should use the term undocumented.
Jimmy McNulty
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 11:36 a.m.
Atticus, I believe I have a solution. Let's call him a criminal. After all, entering our country illegally is a crime, isn't it?
OnTheRight
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 11:07 p.m.
In the first sentence of the article he is called an "illegal immigrant", not illegal human.... However, it is what it is. Illegal. Why the need to sugarcoat a description of this pervert? It is an example of political correctness overkill when you want to attach a "nicer" label to the man who assaults women in our city.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 9:18 p.m.
We prefer the term "undocumented leadfoot"
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:54 p.m.
Well if you speed, then you are illegal
AlwaysLate
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.
And to your other point...humans are not illegal. Your friend's existance in this country is illegal...therefore he is illegal. And anyone who helps them skirt the law or shields them is also breaking the law.
AlwaysLate
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:54 p.m.
If they are here illegally...they are illegal! Your phrase assumes that all illegals will someday all be granted documents to stay here.
Atticus F.
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:53 p.m.
He's not my friend. And the term illegal refers to an action. if someone is doing something illegal, it means their actions are illegal. But to call a human illegal, implies that their existance is against the law.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:23 p.m.
You can if you like. Others may not agree. That's one of the reasons the United States is such a great country and may be why your friend was here illegally.
Davidian
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 5:57 p.m.
Why was he still here if there was prior contact? When are people going to get fed up with illegal immigrants and their criminal activity? There is no debate. Deport them, all of them, now.
Michigan Man
Sat, Jul 2, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.
Please remember that it is politically incorrect to be anti illegal immigrants - they are only here in the USA to better themselves.
Barb's Mom
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
The article says he is "An illegal immigrant" who " Patrol officers were familiar with him because they had prior contact with him". So if they knew he was an illegal immigrant during the prior contact, why wasn't anything done about it?
genetracy
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 9:37 p.m.
What do you think A2 is, Arizona?
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
Because Ann Arbor is a sanctuary city for undocumented molesters?
drut_ferguson
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
Hmm, an immigrant who gropes unsuspecting women. This is only speculation, but he'll likely face deportation or he'll be elected governor of California.
smokeblwr
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 4:50 p.m.
In the America of 2008-2012 he will just be moved to CA where he will then be appointed governor. All that will be fixed in 2013.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.
Kudos to AAPD. This is why each and every instance of unwanted contact must be reported to police. Without the previous complaints this guy would not have been known to them. Good on those who took the time to do so, you're a big part of this too.
JSA
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 4:07 p.m.
One assumes regardless of the outcome of the trial this man will be deported.
Ross
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 3:04 p.m.
Just biking around and grabbing buttocks, huh. pathetic.
a2citizen
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.
Kudos to the police.
TrappedinMI
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.
Yikes! This "alleged" perp was possibly escalating. I'm very thankful they caught him. He probably will be a future threat. Scary!
Dr. Vag
Fri, Jul 1, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.
"The man, who lives in Ann Arbor, was arrested at his home, where officers had been looking for him." Why else would they be there?