Madison police make arrest in State Street sexual assault

MADISON, Wis. — Police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a sexual assault in downtown Madison.

Department officials said they arrested the man Wednesday afternoon. He’s facing tentative charges of first-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment.

Authorities started investigating the incident after a woman told police she was assaulted by two men while waiting for a rideshare driver to pick her up in the early morning hours of Sunday along the 500 block of State Street.

According to an incident report, the two men made sexual comments before groping the woman without her consent. The men then led the woman to a nearby vehicle and drove away with the woman inside.

Police said the woman fought back and was eventually able to get out of the vehicle; multiple witnesses helped the woman get to a safe location after seeing her get out of the vehicle.

Department spokesperson Stephanie Fryer told News 3 Now on Tuesday that investigators were relying on digital evidence captured by city cameras to identify the suspects and their vehicle.

News 3 Now is not naming the suspect at this time as part of a policy not to name people accused of crimes until they have been formally charged in court. Click here to learn more about the policy. He is currently being held in the Dane County Jail.

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