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Sex Assault Suspect At Large After Attack On Auraria Campus

DENVER (CBS4) - Police are searching for a suspect after a man tried to rape a woman on Denver's Auraria campus.

The attack happened at midday Saturday on the second floor of a classroom building where any number of students could have seen or been moving about.

The victim was able to fight herself free and run away, but there were no witnesses and no cameras in the hallway. Now, a search is underway for the suspect among a sea of people.

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Hallway of Auraria campus building (credit: CBS)

"We have two light rail stations on campus, we have numerous transit lines, and we're bordered by three of the busiest streets in Denver, being Colfax, Speer, and the parkway," said Blaine Nickeson of the Auraria Education Center.

Thousands of people walk through the Auraria campus every day. During business hours, the buildings on campus are usually unlocked and open to the public.

Campus police are bringing attention to the emergency phones scattered across the grounds, hoping people will use them to catch suspects.

campus emergency phone
Emergency phone on campus (credit: CBS)

Nickeson said the campus needs its 45,000 students to keep an eye out and be vigilant about their safety.

"We believe the campus is a safe place and folks should feel comfortable on campus, but it's important to have that awareness of what's going on in your surroundings," he said.

Campus police are looking for a suspect described as a black male with a beard and thin build in his 40s. He was wearing black clothing from head to toe on Saturday.

Denver police are also involved in the investigation.

Police said they could not release more details on the incident, in order to avoid targeting the victim.

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