Police: Man Who Viciously Attacked University of Wisconsin Student Posed as Innocent Bystander

Law enforcement says the man accused of raping and beating a University of Wisconsin at Madison senior on Sunday morning pretended to be an innocent bystander after the incident occurred.

Authorities arrested 26-year-old Brandon Thompson on Wednesday regarding charges of sexual assault, reckless injury, and strangulation in the case involving a young woman in her 20s, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

“She remains in the hospital and is a survivor of physical and sexual assault from this incident,” the Madison Police Department explained in a social media post Tuesday.

Thompson is accused of jumping the student as she walked through the town’s commercial district, breaking her jaw and leaving her with life-threatening injuries during the sexual assault.

According to Police Chief Shon Barnes, Thompson stayed at the scene following the alleged crime and talked to an eyewitness who heard noises and ran over to help the victim.

“Thompson told this witness that he had ‘just found’ our survivor, pretending to be an innocent bystander,” Barnes commented.

However, the suspect quickly left the area in a black sedan before officers arrived at the scene.

Police collected DNA and physical evidence, but home surveillance footage was key to officials locating the suspect, who does not have any previous convictions.

When speaking of the young woman, Assistant Chief Paige Valenta stated, “Her life is forever changed. Her family’s life is forever changed.”

The victim was expected to survive the injuries she suffered during the attack, the Post article noted, adding campus police strongly encouraged students to use the school’s safety tools and travel in groups, especially when they are out at night.

On August 29 school officials said, “The UW-Madison Police Department has officially launched BadgerSAFE – a safety app that aims to keep the campus community informed and provide quick access to safety related resources.”

One student told NBC News it was already a challenge being on your own for the first time, “Then something like this happens, directly where you live and you just don’t feel really safe anymore.”

Authorities said they do not believe there is a connection between the suspect and the victim in the case, noting it seems he saw her walking and chose to target her.