University of Michigan Town Rattled By Sex Assaults

August 3, 2011— -- A string of sexual assault cases that has plagued the community surrounding the University of Michigan over the past two weeks has prompted more than 500 calls to the city's tip line but has led to no arrests and now the FBI is involved.

Since July 15, police said six women have been sexually assaulted in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, shaking the college town that is home to the university.

"That is unusual for our town and unusual to occur in such a short time span," said Lt. Angella Abrams of the Ann Arbor Police Department.

The attacks began on July 15 and the most recent occured on Tuesday, July 26. All cases have involved women walking alone and being grabbed from behind, according to polce who have released two composite photos based on victim accounts of an unknown male who is suspected to range in age from 20 to early 30's.

The composites look like two different men.

"We're using the composites, but we're not singling out that it may be more than one. It may be one or two predators," said Abrams.

She said that more than 500 tips have come into the department's tip-line concerning the cases.

Ann Arbor Rattled By Rash of Sex Assaults

FBI agent Sandra R. Berchtold confirmed that the bureau is working with the Ann Arbor Police Department on the investigation and will be "assisting them as needed."

Students at the University of Michigan, which surrounds the area where the attacks have taken place, are "experiencing shock and anger and disbelief," according Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones.

"We held a community support forum on Monday night and students wanted to express their shock and disbelief that this is happening in Ann Arbor, because generally this is a very safe place," said Jones.

Raina LaGrand, a 20-year-old senior at the university, said she's experienced a range of emotions since the attacks began last month. She lives on campus, which is not in the neighorhood where the attacks have occurred but "close enough," she said.

"At first I was very shocked, then very angry and now motivated to do something," said LaGrand, who volunteers at the university's Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, and will take a full-time position there next year.

She said that because of her education from working at the center, she isn't taking any precautions that she wasn't already accustomed to, but said there has been a shift among her friends' attitudes towards walking by themselves.

"I think a lot of my friends are not walking alone, they're driving. There's a heightened sense of awareness because I see people reacting," she said.

But as the university prepares to welcome thousands of freshmen onto campus at the end of the month, director of public affairs Kelly Cunningham said they are working to ease parents' concerns, and are placing information in orientation materials. E-mail messages have been sent out to students and posters with the composite sketches have been distributed throughout the campus, she said.

"We're taking this very seriously," said Cunningham. "I think this is unusual for Ann Arbor and so everyone is alert and we're trying to make sure that everyone is aware."