By: Jake Stark

A woman was assaulted near the University Information Technology building early Sunday, according to a University police report.

The woman, 28, was driving home from Loring Pasta Bar along University Avenue with a male friend around 3:30 a.m. Sunday when she became concerned that the man had drank too much before driving, the report said. When she told him to pull over, the man became angry and allegedly grabbed her head and shook her.

The man pulled over near the Information Technology building after the woman threatened to call 911, the report said. After he let her out of the car, the woman immediately called University police.

When the officers arrived at the scene, they found the woman crying while sitting on the sidewalk, the report said. She told the officers about the assault, and they found the suspect parked in a handicapped parking spot nearby.

The man confessed to the attack, but he said the victim punched him in the face before he grabbed her, according to the report. The officers arrested him on suspicion of fifth-degree assault and booked him at Hennepin County Jail.

The woman, who is not affiliated with the University, suffered a minor scratch to her chin from the assault, the report said, but she became so upset about the incident that officers called paramedics to transport her to Hennepin County Medical Center for care.

The assault headlined a slow weekend in on-campus crime, said University police Deputy Chief Chuck Miner. University police mostly responded to calls about minor consumption of alcohol and reports of theft.

Miner added that he expects criminal activity to pick up in the coming weeks because spring is fast approaching. The warmer weather will cause more people to go out and increase the opportunity for crime, he said.