A 27-year-old male suspect allegedly forced a female University of Wisconsin-Madison student into a Grand Central apartment elevator Tuesday and will face attempted second-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment charges, according to Madison Police Department Lieutenant Cory Nelson.
At approximately 10:15 a.m., the suspect attacked the 22-year-old victim, who struggled and screamed for help before the suspect threw her into an elevator on the ground floor of the largely student-occupied residence, located at 1022 W. Johnson St., according to a police report.
The victim’s screams alerted several witnesses, who responded before the elevator door had time to close, causing the suspect to release the student, according to the report.
The witnesses then called the police and blocked the suspect inside the elevator while they waited for police to arrive. Nelson said the witnesses did not need to physically detain the suspect.
Police have not officially arrested the suspect as he was transported immediately to the Mendota Mental Health Institute, where he is currently staying for a 72-hour emergency detention while his mental health is assessed. Nelson said police will arrest the suspect once he is released from Mendota.
Nelson did not specify what those mental health issues could include, but said suspects are placed in Mendota for their own health and safety, as well as the health and safety of others.
Nelson said the attack currently appears to have been random, and according to the report, the suspect is not a Grand Central resident.
