Suspect Arrested in Campus Theft, Sexual Assault

University of Maryland Police have arrested and charged Tavon Dametrius Clark, 18, of Bowie, Md., with being involved in a campus theft and sexual assault.

According to police, the incident around 12:30 a.m. after three female students undressed themselves and climbed into the fountain on McKeldin Mall to swim.

Officers received a report that a group of six to eight males and two females had approached the women, began heckling then, and picked up their purses before fleeing between the Skinner Building and Marie Mount Hall.

One of the females also reported that she was grabbed on the buttocks as she swam by one of the suspects, according to police.

Chief David Mitchell said that the department wasn’t taking the incident lightly.

“This was not just a college prank," Mitchell said. "This was a theft and a sexual assault that we absolutely will prosecute."

Clark faces seven charges related to theft under $1,000, fraudulent use of a credit card, and use of another’s identification. He was taken into custody and released on personal recognizance.

Mitchell applauded the work of his detectives, saying the arrest was made because of good police work. 

The investigation remains ongoing, and police say they hope to identify other suspects in the case soon.