Women targeted in four recent incidents on or near UMD campus

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Strange men have targeted women on or near the campus at the University of Maryland College Park at least four times in one week, according to police and campus officials.

One of the most serious crimes involved an attempted abduction off campus late Thursday.

According to University of Maryland Police, a female student was approached by a strange male while walking in the 4700 block of Harvard Road. The man reportedly knocked the woman down and dragged her in his direction, before being stopped by two witnesses.

The suspect is described as a male between 30 and 35 years old and with an extremely thin build.

On November 17 in the 4200 block of Knox Road police say a woman heard a noise in her bedroom and awoke to a man standing at the foot of her bed. She screamed and he ran off before police arrived.

Two days later Prince George's County Police arrested a peeping tom who a female found inside her closet. Police arrested 24-year-old Eric Tata of College Park, who the victim reported was wearing a towel.

A campus alert says a woman reported a man exposing himself to her in a campus garage on November 22. Police say it happened in the Stadium Drive Garage about 11 a.m.

With the exception of the peeping tom incident on November 19, police have not arrested other suspects. They say they are reviewing surveillance video in several of the cases.

Students told FOX 5 the incidents are challenging their sense of safety.

"It's very scary. I try not to go out by myself or if it's too dark," said senior Sky Navarro.

Junior Erika Tarawallie said since the incidents she has been "just staying away from certain areas at night."