Brandon A. Thompson was arrested in an attack of a college student in Madison, Wisconsin. (Intersection photo from NBC News/YouTube; Mugshot from Dane County Sheriff’s Office)
A 26-year-old man sexually assaulted and strangled a Wisconsin college student, then pretended to be an innocent bystander after the attack, telling a witness he found the victim lying nearby before disappearing when the witness asked him to wait at the scene, authorities said.
Brandon A. Thompson was arrested early Wednesday morning in connection with Sunday’s attack in downtown Madison, police said. The woman was found around 3:20 a.m. after someone had heard the commotion in the area and called the police.
Thompson was booked into the Dane County Jail on charges of first-degree sexual assault, first-degree reckless injury, and strangulation. The victim was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive, officials said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Thompson’s attorneys said he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he studied criminal justice administration and had a minor in psychology.
“His family asks that the media respect their privacy during this stressful time,” the statement said.
“We don’t have any of the evidence yet, so we have no idea what is potentially going to show on any videos that may exist, we don’t what’s going to come back with DNA evidence,” attorney Emily Bell told CBS Milwaukee affiliate WDJT-TV. “We really don’t have any information.”
In a news release, police said Thompson was pulled over around 1:20 a.m. on Sunday for a registration violation.
“Through this video, we were able to confirm that Thompson was the driver of the vehicle and what clothing he was wearing Sunday morning,” police said in the news release.
Police said Thompson was spotted on public space cameras in downtown Madison, following the victim, just before the assault. He was wearing the same clothing when the police stopped him earlier, police said.
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A witness to the attack said Thompson pretended to be an innocent bystander, and when that witness asked Thompson to wait at the scene, he refused, returned to his vehicle and left the downtown area, according to police.
Authorities said there was no connection between him and the victim in what officials called a “horrific” attack.
“We are still going through every detail of this case until there is nothing left to do,” Madison police Chief Shon F. Barnes said. “We owe that to our survivor and our community.”
In a news conference, Paige Valenta, Madison Police Department assistant chief of investigative services, said detailed witness statements, crime scene analysis, biological evidence and video were instrumental in leading to Thompson as a suspect.
Christine Roman, the chief of police at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, said in the news conference that these assaults are extremely rare in Madison.
“The violence perpetrated against this young woman Sunday morning was horrific and will not be tolerated,” she said. “This is not Madison. This is not UW Madison. The safety of our Badger community remains and will always be our top priority. And we will continue to work on our campus and collaboratively with our city partners to prevent sexual violence.”
The university published a post on its website after the off-campus attack, saying police increased patrols and urged the community to remain vigilant.
In a statement on Wednesday, Roman and Dean of Students Christina Olstad said they were grateful to learn of the arrest in the case.
“Our focus remains on our student and the healing process still ahead of her, and with her family and those close to her,” the statement said.
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