Nigerian man arrested for theft and attempted rape at University of Maryland college park

Yesterday Wednesday February 29, 2012, University of Maryland Police investigators arrested and charged Oluwafemi T. Charles, 28, of Silver Spring for his involvement in the burglary of a 7th floor Cumberland Hall residence on the University of Maryland College Park campus which occurred in the early morning hours of February 26, 2012.

During the incident, Charles entered the residence of an 18 year old female student in an attempt to steal property. While he was in the room he touched the student without her consent.



“I am very impressed with the excellent work and quick arrest made in this case by our detectives”, stated David Mitchell, Chief of Police. “Their dedication and commitment in identifying and apprehending dangerous suspects should send a strong message to those preying upon our community of this agencies vigilance.

Charles is charged with the following criminal offenses:
1st Degree Burglary
3rd Degree Burglary
4th Degree Burglary
Theft $1,000- $10,000
Theft less than $100
4th Degree Sex Offense
2nd Degree Assault

INCIDENT: Burglary
OCCURRED: February 26, 2012 / 3:50 a.m.
REPORTED: February 26, 2012 / 4:23 a.m.
LOCATION: Cumberland Hall / 7th Floor
UMDPS CASE #: 2012-11752

BRIEF DETAILS:
On February 26, 2012 at approximately 3:50 a.m. a female resident of Cumberland Hall was asleep in her bed when she awoke to find a male in her room touching her thigh. Her roommate entered the room and confronted the male. The male stated he entered the room by mistake and then left. It was noticed that the resident’s laptop had been moved and packed in an apparent attempt to steal the laptop. It was learned that the male entered the room through an unlocked door. Officers spoke with other 7th floor residents and learned that other residents had heard the sound of someone trying their door knobs. One resident looked through her peephole and noticed two males who didn’t appear to belong in the building.

The victim and roommate witness provided the following description to police of the first suspect who was involved in the burglary:

5’08” tall, African American male wearing blue jeans, a grey hooded sweatshirt and grey baseball hat.

The second suspect observed through a peephole by a witness could only be described as an African American male who, along with the subject described above, did not appear to belong in the residence hall.

Individuals with any information regarding this incident or who may have seen this individual at the time of the incident are encouraged to contact police (911 or 301-405-3555). You may also email any information to investigations@umpd.umd.edu.

When available for release, additional information, including descriptions of the suspect(s), may be obtained by accessing the "Crime Alerts" portion of our web site: http://www.umdps.umd.edu/police_support_services_public_crime_alert.cfm
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