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Police nab sexual assault suspect
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Also by Lynn Heidmann:
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by Lynn Heidmann
Friday, September 8, 2006
The Madison Police Department arrested 26-year-old Mario Amaya Thursday morning for the sexual assault of a young woman that took place on University Avenue early Monday.
Amaya was charged with a Class C Felony and faces a possible $100,000 in fines and up to 40 years of jail time.
According to Mike Hanson, MPD's public information officer, the incident occurred on the 500 block of University Avenue in the parking lot behind The Vintage Bar and Grill.
Though MPD was able to identify one of the suspects, Hanson said they are unable to publicly disclose the details of Amaya's arrest until all of the suspects have been identified. The only information publicly available, he added, is that the 23-year-old victim is not currently a University of Wisconsin student.
Three other men were allegedly involved in the sexual assault, and Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said police and detectives are working non-stop to identify the other suspects.
"We have among the absolute best sensitive-crimes detectives working [on] this horrendous crime," he added. "One thing I'm sure a lot of students and others don't realize is that … this is, luckily, an unusual and isolated incidence. In all the years I've been involved in downtown campus issues, I don't remember any type of sexual assault of this sort of gang nature ever occurring."
Brittany Kraemer, owner of Vintage Bar and Grill, said she is extremely concerned with the situation. Even though her business has no affiliation with the parking lot in the alley where the incident occurred, she expressed her fears for employees and others who might walk through the area.
"We already take as many preventative measures as possible," she noted. "Any girls leaving work late are walked to where they need to be, but we are concerned, and it's horrible [the sexual assault] happened."
Kraemer said another area of concern is that businesses in the area, including Vintage and Ian's Pizza, were never informed or questioned by the police about the assault.
"I'm upset the cops didn't come and ask us what happened," she said. "The only reason I heard anything [about the assault] was because of the news, and I'm the owner."
Parties with any additional information on the assault are still encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (608) 266-6014.
Anonymous (September 15, 2006 @ 1:43pm):
As a UW-Madison student, I am outraged by the recent crime that has been occurring all over campus. It started at the end of Spring semester with students getting mugged and beat up on Langdon street and other downtown areas. Those muggings and assaults continued throughout the summer. Three weeks ago a girl gets punched in the face ten times by an unidentified man. Now a sexual assault behind Ian's pizza and Vintage, two very public and popular places in the downtown area. I walk home from the library at night terrified of what could happen.
However, what makes me the most upset is the lack of action. Instead of putting more police officers on Langdon and other downtown areas, police are instead raiding the bars in search of underage drinkers. The only cops I see in Madison are in bars or on state street looking for drunk underage students. There needs to be a serious reconsideration of what the priorities of the police department are. Why do I rarely see cops driving on University or Langdon? The violent attacks that have been occuring in Madison need to be Chief Fiore's number one concern, NOT underage drinkers.
