Boulder police officers in December, 2014. (Matt Sisneros/CU Independent File)
A 17-year-old accused in a series of incidents this week regarding unlawful sexual contact and burglary on University Hill has been arrested and is being held without bond, the Boulder Police Department announced in a press conference Friday night.
The suspect, whose name was not released by police as he is a minor, was taken into custody Thursday evening without incident, according to Deputy Chief Stephen Redfearn, the officer in charge of the case. Police charged the suspect with eight crimes in total, including three counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of indecent exposure, one count of attempted invasion of privacy for sexual gratification, one count of unlawful sexual contact and one count of aggravated motor vehicle theft.
“There is no longer a threat to the community,” said Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty at the press conference.
The arrest comes after a week of unease for residents on University Hill and students at the Univesity of Colorado Boulder after several women reported that an unknown person broke into their homes and exposed himself to them.
Police said they were able to make the arrest after finding a connection to a similar case in 2021, where the suspect was charged with seven misdemeanor charges related to indecent exposure in East Boulder. He pleaded guilty in that case and has since been on probation under supervision of the Boulder County Juvenile Probation Department. He was taken into custody Thursday after violating the conditions of his parole.
While the suspect was in custody, a search warrant was executed at his house, where officers found evidence linking him to the recent crimes. After the search, a formal arrest warrant was issued.
District Attorney Dougherty said it was “likely” that the suspect would plead not guilty to the formal counts, and that more information will be made available after court date is set.
The District Attorney’s Office and Boulder Police Department ask anyone with more information about the case to contact Detective Ashley Flynn at 303-441-1850.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor William Oster at William.Oster@colorado.edu.
