Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Sexual Assault On ASU Campus

TEMPE, AZ — Arizona State University Police arrested a man Friday morning on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman on campus earlier this month.

Eric Bell was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and kidnapping, according to ASU police.

Police located Bell after analyzing DNA from the scene and submitting it to the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Lab, where police claim it matched with a sample on file for Bell.

The sexual assault happened Oct. 17 when, on the ASU campus, a man grabbed a woman from behind and held a metal, knife-like object to her throat. He then took her somewhere between the Packard Structure and Hyatt House and sexually assaulted her. Afterward, he pressed a gun-like object to her back and then fled.

“Tireless work from ASUPD detectives uncovered crucial evidence that allowed us to determine the suspect’s identity,” said ASU Police Chief Michael Thompson in a news release. “It took tremendous police work from our ASUPD officers and detectives working this case, as well as support from our partnering agencies, to make the swift nature of this arrest possible.”