Police from the city of Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison are sharing information on a pair of attacks to see if there may be a connection.
The first attack took place early Saturday morning, Sept. 30, 2017, when a man came up behind a woman and grabbed her around the neck, according to Madison police.
According to a police incident report, the attack happened on N Carroll Street between W Gorham Street and W Johnson Street shortly before 2 a.m. The 24-year-old woman's screams were loud enough that the suspect bolted, police said, and she wasn't hurt and didn't have anything taken from her.
Then about 1 a.m., on Monday morning, Oct. 2, 2017, a UW student was walking home from College Library when she told police that she was approached by an unknown man from behind, according to the UW Police Department. The victim was wearing earbuds and did not hear the suspect approach.
The woman said the suspect placed her into a headlock and forcefully moved her to a parking lot near the Social Sciences building on Observatory Drive.
The suspect, armed with an edged weapon, struck the victim multiple times – she was eventually able to fight the suspect off and ran away to get help. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The suspect is described as a white male, 5”8’ tall with a thin build, 175 pounds, and last seen wearing thin black-framed glasses and a beanie. He was seen leaving the area in a green vehicle.
Descriptions provided by the two victims are somewhat similar. In both cases the women were walking alone and were wearing earbuds when they were approached from behind and grabbed around the neck or head. Anyone with information can contact Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 266-6014.
http://www.wkow.com/story/36522523/2017/10/04/police-investigating-possible-link-between-two-early-morning-attacks-on-women