GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Police are searching for a man accused of tackling a woman over the weekend, the latest in a string of attacks on women at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.
Authorities said the student was attacked Sunday near McCarty Hall about 9:40 p.m. The woman kicked the man and he ran off.
It was the fourth attack on women on campus in recent days, but university police spokesman Maj. Brad Barber said it's too early to say whether the incident on Sunday night is related to the others.
On Monday afternoon several law enforcement agencies were on hand for a press conference led by the University of Florida's police chief.
"This is a pattern of repetitive behavior and you can look at the sheet and see the common denominators, these women are being grabbed from behind, being thrown down, being attacked violently and this guy is running when there's a struggle," said University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump.
Authorities want to question a person of interest that was seen on surveillance video they reviewed. The man was wearing a blue Gators shirt and orange shorts.
Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities.
In Sunday's attack, the suspect was described as a white man standing about 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 185 pounds. He was wearing an orange T-shirt, black gym shorts and a black baseball cap.
In the other three attacks, the suspect was described as a white man between 20-30 years old, standing taller than 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 250 pounds or more. The suspect had a medium build with a large stomach, the victims said.
In an attack on Friday, a woman said a man with short brown hair and a beard grabbed her near a school library. She punched the attacker and he ran away, authorities said.
On Aug. 30, a woman was attacked by a man who dragged her to the side of a building on NW Second Avenue and attempted to sexually batter her, police said.
A good Samaritan heard the attack and confronted the suspect, who ran away.
On Aug. 31, a woman was attacked and pulled into some bushes on SW 13th Street, authorities said.
In that incident, the attacker tried to sexually batter the woman but her screams alerted bystanders and the man fled into campus, authorities said.
A spokesman with the Gainesville Police Department said in the attacks of Aug. 30 and 31 both women were punched in the back of the head.
WFTV
