Crime

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― A Minneapolis man is in jail Wednesday night after he was arrested for sexually groping at least eleven University of Minnesota students in and around campus.

Two off-duty officers found Phillip William Acosta, 41, Tuesday night near 19th Avenue South and 1st Street South on the West Bank. They'd followed him from the East Bank after another woman reported she was groped a few minutes earlier.

The attacks started last December but the majority of the incidents happened within the past week.

Freshman Cassi Smith was groped in broad daylight Sunday afternoon. She hadn't even noticed the man standing at the bus stop near Washington and Oak.

"About two or three minutes after we had seen him, he was right behind us. This big, huge, looming guy standing behind us. He was like, excuse me, as we moved out of the way for him to pass through us, he pushed into me and grabbed me," Smith said.

She said she was horrified and yelled at him before he simply turned and walked away.

Catching the groper had been a top priority for the University of Minnesota Police and the Minneapolis Police Sex Crimes Unit. Together, they'd sent out crime alerts through email and the news.

Minneapolis Police Lt. Nancy Dunlap said the groper has a similar pattern.

"Reaching under and grabbing their buttocks and genital area, and squeezing," she said, "When you talk about this kind of behavior, these people had no idea he was behind them. Their sense of security was pretty shaken at that time. It was pretty traumatic."

In press conference at the University of Minnesota Wednesday afternoon, police announced the details of Acosta's arrest.

According to Campus Police, at about 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 3, police received a report of a female student touched inappropriately outside the McNamara Alumni Center. According to reports, the man was then seen running toward the Aquatics Center.

"Officers immediately began checking the area for the suspect," said University Of Minnesota Deputy Chief Chuck Minor.

Investigators said the University of Minnesota officers ended up driving over the Dinkytown Bikeway Bridge and spotted a man matching the suspect's description.

Police were able to detain the suspect, who was identified by police as Acosta, for questioning. At the same time, University Police received a second report of an incident that occurred 20 minutes earlier in front of the Moos Tower on campus.

Both victims were able to positively identify Acosta as the man who sexually assaulted them.

"One of our investigators went and spoke to this individual who, as a result, confessed to 10 incidents," said Dunlap.

Acosta's family heard about the arrest on the news Wednesday. They said they were distressed and saddened for the victims. Acosta's sister, who asked not to be identified at this time, said her brother was a diagnosed schizophrenic who she'd been trying to get help for years. Last she knew, he was taking his medications, but she hadn't talked with him since he was arrested.

"He's good person," she said. "This is so surprising."

Police say Acosta does not have a record of any sexual conduct in his past. He'll likely be charged with 5th degree assault which is a gross misdemeanor.

According to University of Minnesota Police, Acosta has no connections to the university.

Police aren't releasing Acosta's mug shot until more line ups with victims are conducted. Investigators think others may come forward now that those victims know someone had been arrested.

"I was definitely relieved. The past couple of days, I'll be walking by myself and I hear a leaf rustle and I turn around and I look to make sure no one is behind me. It did put a lot of paranoia in me after this happened," said Smith, "Now that he's off the streets, I feel safer walking around."

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