According to police reports, an unidentified assailant a grabbed female UNC student on Raleigh Street near Coker Arboretum early Tuesday morning and carried her across the road before she escaped with minor injuries.
Maj. Jeff McCraken of UNC department of public safety said the suspect then fled, but an investigation is underway. The assailant is described as a Hispanic man of heavy build and medium height with black hair and no facial hair, and is believed to be in his mid or late 20s.
According to police reports, the victim was walking home down Franklin Street early Tuesday morning when the suspect pulled up in a small four-door gray or tan car, blew the horn and knocked on the passenger window.
Subsequently, the victim was accosted by the same man near her destination, Alderman Residence Hall. The suspect came up to the victim on foot, grabbed her and dragged her toward Coker Arboretum, where he tried to lift her over the wall.
The student bumped her head and injured her arm in the assault. She was treated and released from UNC Hospitals this morning.
McCraken said the University is taking steps to educate the community and heighten awareness of safety issues in response to this week's assault.
He said the UNC campus is generally relatively safe.
"I wouldn't say (UNC is unsafe)," McCraken said. "This is the first such attack we've had in a long time, certainly the first this calendar year."
But McCraken said it is still important to remember to be safe.
