Suspect identified in PSU assault, arrest warrant issued
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Police have identified the man they believe assaulted a woman on the campus of Portland State University.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Timothy Webster, who is facing a charge of third-degree sex abuse. He is not a student at the college and is not a suspect in any other attack, according to Scott Gallagher with Portland State University.
According to campus police, the victim, who is a student, was walking home when a man she described as homeless came up to her, asking for a dollar. While she was looking for her money, that's when she said he inappropriately touched her.
It happened near the Lovejoy fountain by the engineering building on Fourth Street. It was concerning for a lot of students because it happened in the middle of the day just before 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Sgt. Joe Schilling, with PSU campus public safety, said the woman told the man to stop and then pushed the attacker away. She turned to keep going home and called public safety.
Schilling said because PSU is located in downtown Portland there are always challenges with who comes on and off campus.
"Being an urban campus, we don't have any good boundary," he said. "So the same concerns and problems that the Portland Police Bureau would have with the community at large, we have on the campus."
Schilling said the victim did everything right in this situation. He said she used a forceful voice and told him to stop. She pushed him away, immediately left the area and then got help.
Schilling said it's important for students to be aware of their surroundings and call for help if they're ever concerned.
There is a security camera right above where the incident happened, but it didn't record anything.
An unrelated attack on campus occurred last November.
In that attack, a 27-year-old student told police she was clubbed over the head by a man, dragged into an alley and assaulted. It happened near Southwest 10th and Market. The suspect in that incident has yet to be caught.
Self-Defense Techniques
At One With Heart, Tulen Center, they've been teaching women self-defense techniques for more than 30 years.
Danielle McGrath said the moves are simple to learn and highly effective. The three top tools are awareness, assessment and action.
"Using your awareness, it alerts you, you get a sense that something's not right and so you act on that right away," she said. "Assessment would be checking out the situation, escape is primary goal, so getting out of there, getting distance from the person. And then action would be using your basic self-defense tools."
It doesn't matter whether someone is sneaking up behind you or attacking you with a weapon or even how old you are, it's about using your voice to say "No!" and setting clear boundaries with your body language and striking over and over until you can run away and get help. Self-defense is all about being confident and calm.
"Nothing you can do is wrong when you're in a self-defense situation. Every woman does the best they can in that situation. Your goal is to escape," said McGrath.
Another big factor that goes along with being calm is to focus on your breathing. And also be positive. Tell yourself it's going to be OK.
I do not condone this actions and agree that it is inappropriate to do what he did....But give me a break, sexual assault??? third degree sex abuse??? Because he touched her, all the time the police spent on this, the paperwork, the interviews, the warrant, arrest, jail time...there is a lot of money spent because some 20 year old got touched??? and he is homeless to boot. Now he will get a public defender, there goes more money....and then some high paid judge is going to have to here the case. He will get a slap on the hand and be free...what will be accomplished with all of this?????Â
so he tried to cop a feel on the girl. maybe now he'll have a chance to feel a cop.Â
From the sensationalist headlines surrounding this story, I was under the impression that the college student was attacked.  But, from reading the actual details of the story, and all that was brought about was a misdemeanor charge, it kind of sounds like what really happened is the homeless guy asked the lady for a dollar and then pinched her bottom.
@UtterReality Touching someone anywhere without their consent, is not okay. It is 100% absolutely not okay. There's no way to trivialize it into something that is "all right" because "it could have just been a pinch on her butt" or something that makes it sound like the woman is making a big deal out of nothing, and comments like yours are, frankly, disgusting.
Glad it worked out and the individual was arrested. Glad he did not go further.
Wish she had carried a small can of bear spray or something just in case. She used her head after fact though. Her first action when he wanted to bum $$ was to tell him no.
They used to call this type of thing "making a pass at someone". Â Now it's assault. Â Besides, this is the type of resident Portland caters to and gives more rights to than people who actually contribute to society and work for a living. Â Portland, the embarrassment of the Pacific Northwest.
@Shadow You can always move!
New idea... Arrest him try him then after it's over put him on SSI and give him an apartment so he doesn't do it again. Raise all the taxes on you idiots.
Perhaps when approached by a panhandler, one should ask for a receipt?
Let's make rape illegal to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
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@feral Not all men are raping thugs, but i get it. I believe in harsher punishments.
Someone needs to tell "save the world" babycakes not to give money to any more Occupy Portland types. What a moron. Don't talk to them, Dont give them money. Dont get felt up. OK? What an idiot
looks like trey Arrow:)
Kudos to the victim in how she handled herself and for reporting it to the police. I'm glad they caught the pervert, although it's unclear as to how they did that with so few details in the article. I'm glad the woman is okay. I hope this incident will cause everyone to be more aware of their surroundings and prevent other incidents. It's unclear as to why the camera didn't record the incident; if it's turned off or doesn't record then there's a security issue for the campus.
Didn't catch him yet!
I was going to say i feel safe being a male in this city, but that went out the window saturday night in China town. Please tell people who aren't from around here to avoid death traps like this place, please. I do!
Shoot on sight.
Maybe if we stopped giving free handouts to lazy individuals this would have never happened? Because he would either be dead or he would be working at a job?
Maybe if she blew a rape whistle someone would come running? Nah forgot this is portland, nobody cares about anyone, people would just keep walking.
Good point. I don't believe there has ever been a recorded sexual assault where the perpetrator had a job or income.
book em Dano
"Schilling said the victim did everything right in this situation. He said she used a forceful voice and told him to stop. She pushed him away, immediately left the area and then got help."
Wait - wasn't she supposed to pee herself and throw-up on the guy. I thought that was how women were supposed to prevent sexual assault.
@altairPDX Well! You beat me to it.
Portland, the sex offender mecca
@Phuzz Just ask Sammie........
It's the hoodie. They should be banned!
@Mikey But only if they are assault hoodies.
Quote from Sgt. Joe Schilling, with PSU campus public safety : "Being an urban campus, we don't have any good boundary . . ."
and this from the article's author: "There is a security camera right above where the incident happened, but it didn't record anything."
I'm sure that makes everyone on PSU campus feel much more secure.Â
With so little to go on it would be nice to know how they identified him. Don't journalists ask questions anymore?
@Scotty9Â Â Journalists only ask questions if they think it will up their ratings.
After all, money is more important than truth. :-P
@Scotty9Â Since that appears to be a booking photo, my guess would be that he's done these types of things before and maybe the victim ID'd him from the picture, just a guess though.
Looks like some leftover Occutard Trash....No, it can't be <sarc off>
Make him take off that ridiculous wig!
He should be arrested just for that girly man hairdo.
more mental subjects living on the street as the gray bar hotel has to let people out of jail for budget cuts. even terrorists get to go home until trial. Got your mace and gun? YOU will need it if you live here in America.
I haven't left my house in 2 years because I'm so terrified of everything and everyone out there.
Next time...SING! Gotta love Sandra Bullock for teaching that one!