MISSOULA — The University of Montana Police Department responded to a report of a sexual assault on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 4:15 p.m.
The victim, a female student, reported a concerning encounter while walking from UM to her apartment on Maurice Avenue, according to an alert sent by UM.
She noticed a male that she was not familiar with following her, so she changed her route. But when she got home, he grabbed her buttocks and then fled running south.
The student described the male suspect as being approximately 6 feet tall and between 20 and 25 years old. He had dark skin and was possibly Hispanic or Native American.
The male was last seen wearing a dark blue hoodie, light blue jeans, white shoes, and a black and white baseball cap.
UMPD tells MTN that students can call for help any time they don’t feel safe while walking outside. They also want to remind everyone of the resources available for your protection.
“Everybody has a cell phone and if you even suspect that you’re being followed, call the police, I mean the response time on our campus for a police officer is usually about two minutes. So, getting into a public place and then calling for help gets help where it needs to be as quick as possible. For other students that are on campus, we have a Griz Walk program. They know they can call for a ride if they’re uneasy or feeling unsafe and we’ll give them a ride from where they are to where they need to be.” - UMPD CHeif Brad Giffin
Anyone with information about the suspect or the incidents is asked to contact UMPD 406-243-6131 or the Title IX Office at 406-243-5710.
Calls can be kept confidential.
