Sexual Assault: North Henry Street

Police reported the sexual assault of a 21-year-old female on North Henry Street at about 5:45 a.m. Monday.

The woman was walking to work on North Henry Street when a six-foot male in a dark hooded sweatshirt grabbed her and touched her “inappropriately,” the report said. The woman was able to break free from the man and run to safety, the report said.

Madison Police Department Sgt. Phil Moore said the police do not yet have a suspect in the case.

“It’s a pretty vague description that could describe a lot of people,” Moore said. “So, officers will be looking for that [description], and unusual behavior.”

Sexual Offense: West Gilman Street

Madison Police arrested 21-year-old Nicholas Tarter for lewd behavior and disorderly conduct after he allegedly pushed a woman from behind and lifted up her skirt, Friday afternoon.

A couple of men chased the suspect, who temporarily got away, the MPD report said, adding the victim was able to give police a very good description of the attacker. Police located Tarter that evening near State Street, the report said.

Tarter was charged with a “miscellaneous sex offense,” not an assault, Moore said.

He said there is a difference between crimes identified as sex offenses and sexual assaults.

“This is a guy who likes to look under women’s skirts,” Moore said. “So it isn’t an assault per say, but it is a sex-type crime. So that would explain the sex-related [classification] of the incident.”

Armed Robbery: West Doty Street

An armed robbery occurred on the 500 block of West Doty Street at about 7 p.m. Sunday, MPD spokesperson Joel Despain said.

According to a crime report, the victim was walking into an apartment complex when the two suspects approached him from behind, displayed a handgun and pointed it at him, the report said.

The suspects, both males in their late teens or early 20s, demanded the victim give them his backpack and iPhone, according to the report. The victim gave the suspects both items, and the victim was not injured, the report said.

The suspects then fled on foot eastbound down Doty Street. Officers searched in the area for the suspects with K-9 assistance, but did not yet find the suspects, the report said.

“We always use K-9 units whenever we have crimes where we have a perpetrator on the run,” Despain said.

He said the police use any dogs they have, in addition to dogs from nearby stations.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said the robbery occured near his home and that armed robberies are rare for the area.

Despain said the police have seen few similar robberies in the area, adding that it is still too early to say if this robbery was connected to previous crimes.

“We’re going to do our best to track the perpetrators down and arrest them,” he said.