University of Houston students protested Wednesday following reports that a man accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a woman on campus was released shortly after his arrest.
University of Houston students protested Wednesday amid a campus crime wave, following reports that a man accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a woman on campus was released shortly after his arrest, prompting police to now look for him.
Eric Latroy Brown, 40, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon after he allegedly approached a woman in a parking garage on UH’s campus and sexually assaulted her in her car at knifepoint on Feb. 7 around 5:30 p.m.
On Feb. 8, the UH Police Department announced Brown’s arrest, saying in a news alert that “an individual who matches the description of the assailant in yesterday’s sexual assault is in custody” after officers arrested him “near the scene” on Feb. 7.
Three other crimes were also reported around that same parking garage over the past week, including other robberies, FOX 26 Houston reported.
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“Effective immediately, the University of Houston Police Department has four officers assigned to 24/7 patrols at the Welcome Center Garage,” UHPD said. “The UH Executive Steering Committee on Safety and Security is meeting to develop a comprehensive plan with both immediate and long-term strategies. We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.”
However, officials said Brown was released on Saturday, and a new warrant has been issued for his arrest.
A UHPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the university police department had not heard if the suspect had been caught yet, or why he was released, as of Thursday morning and referred Fox News Digital to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
The HCDA’s office told Fox News Digital that Brown was initially charged with resisting arrest and assault of a police officer late Friday night. On Saturday morning, there was a personnel shift, and the prosecutor who took over the case that morning ultimately determined there was insufficient evidence to charge Brown with those two crimes.
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As soon as the charges were declined, he was released from jail later on Saturday. Then, late Tuesday, the DA’s office began processing the sex crime charges that were filed against Brown. The DA’s office could not say why those charges did not come through until late Tuesday, saying that detail is part of the investigation.
Brown was initially detained Friday night on charges of resisting arrest and assault of a public servant after officers had to use a Taser to take him into custody after a struggle, FOX 26 Houston reported.
Authorities determined there was not enough evidence to go forward with those charges, though, so Brown was released on Saturday. Charges in the parking garage attack were not filed until days later.
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Brown’s arrest record includes charges of assault on a family member, drug possession and criminal trespass dating back to 2004.
Four sexual assaults, four robberies and 13 thefts have been reported on the UH campus so far this month, as FOX 26 first reported. That’s compared to 16 sexual assaults, four robberies and 91 motor vehicle thefts reported on campus in 2023.
Students protested the recent crime wave on Wednesday, demanding more security protections for the university.
“The recent incidents have been unusual in both their nature and frequency, and are of significant concern. We are taking decisive actions to deter future occurrences,” UH said in a Wednesday news release.
Regarding Brown’s arrest, the university said it is “aggressively pursuing all cases and working closely with Harris County law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney’s office, which accepted charges this morning for the individual initially arrested Friday for the recent sexual assault on campus.”
“The University of Houston Police Department continues to work around the clock to investigate incidents, collect evidence and bring the offenders to justice. The University’s CARE team is providing resources and support to the victims of recent crimes,” UH said.
UH also said it has “significantly increased security personnel and patrols across campus.” It has “more than doubled” the number of campus security officers patrolling campus 24/7, and additional security officers have been stationed at six parking garages and 10 surface lots on campus, as well as bike and scooter racks.
The university is asking anyone with information about the recent crimes to contact UHPD at 713-743-3333.
