Evanston police say a 20-year-old Chicago man has been charged with attempting to sexually assault a Northwestern University student near the intersection of Clark Street and Orrington Avenue about 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew says officers called to the scene located the 27-year-old victim and several witnesses.
Glew says the victim and witnesses said a male subject had grabbed the victim from behind, threw her to the ground and attempted to remove her pants. Witnesses intervened and thwarted the offender’s attack. The offender then fled on foot. The victim suffered minor physical injuries in the attack.
He says detectives reviewed video surveillance from the area that showed the suspect, who was described a Black male wearing an unusual coat that was red, white and black with letters on the front that spelled “Gucci.”
Police distributed a photo from the video to area law enforcement agencies.
About 12:25 p.m. Tuesday, Glew says, Glencoe Public Safety responded to a well-being check of a male subject in the area of Dundee and Forestway. Glencoe officers observed the subject and determined he matched the description of the offender from the Evanston incident, including the unusual coat.
Glencoe Public Safety informed Evanston Police detectives they had located a subject matching the suspect’s description. Detectives responded and concluded the man, Devonte Huggins of the 6900 block of South Harper Ave. in Chicago, was the person in the surveillance footage. Detectives took Huggins into custody and transported him to the Evanston Police Department.
Glew says detectives continued their investigation which included interviews of witnesses and incriminating statements made by Huggins. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved felony charges of attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated battery in the public way.
Huggins appeared in Bond Court today before Judge Hansen at the Skokie Courthouse. He received a $200,000 D-Bond with Electronic Monitoring. His next court date is at 9 a.m. on May 26, at the Skokie Courthouse.