Man Allegedly Bear Hugged Woman, Tried To Lick Her Face
DENVER (CBS4) - One man may be responsible for a series of attacks in LoDo, according to Denver police.
Jerry Odell has been arrested and is accused of fondling four women.
The crimes all reportedly happened on or near 15th Street and Stout Street at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Monday.
In one of the incidents the suspect made his way into a secure apartment building, approached a woman from behind and bear hugged her. Police say he began groping her and then tried to lick her face.
"I just heard this blood-curdling scream and she was just saying 'Help, get him off me,'" said a man who lives in the apartment building.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he ran towards the commotion.
"There was a very tall, like a linebacker guy, that had his hands all over the woman from the building," he said.
"So I said 'Alright man, you need to just get your hands off her and you need to leave,' but he let her go," the man said.
Investigators said they believe Odell hid behind a set of mailboxes before the attack.
Another woman reported a similar attack only a block away. She said she was grabbed from behind, pushed to the ground and fondled by the suspect.
Police quickly located Odell after the fourth attack and took him into custody.
A background check on Odell shows no criminal history in Colorado. He was being held at the Denver County Jail.
