Alleged Mpls. Parking Ramp Attacker ID'd, Charged
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The man arrested Thursday on suspicion of back-to-back assaults in a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp has been formally charged.
According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, 22-year-old Peijan Lamont Hodges is suspected of assaulting two women in broad daylight Tuesday on the seventh floor of Ramp C. The assaults happened within three hours of each other.
He was charged Friday with four counts of criminal sexual conduct.
Minneapolis Police say the first assault happened at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, when a woman was approached by the suspect at her car on the seventh floor. Hodges allegedly asked her for money, and pulled her between two parked cars when she refused.
The victim was able to fend off the suspect, and alerted a man who had just exited the elevator. Hodges allegedly yelled, "Quit trying to take all my money" before fleeing.
The second assault happened at about 4:30 p.m. The suspect and the second female victim rode the elevator up to the seventh floor. He followed her to her car, snatched her keys away and pushed her into the back seat.
The victim pleaded with him, offering her wedding ring and money. The suspect allegedly stated that he only wanted "one thing," and proceeded to sexually, physically and verbally assault her.
She honked the car horn several times during the assault until Hodges allegedly took her hand from the wheel and threatened to punch her.
A witness parked next to the victim saw the struggle in the back seat and called to another witness for help. Hodges allegedly exited the victim's vehicle, pulled up his pants and began to flee.
The first witness stayed with the victim while a second witness ran to the skyway level to alert a police officer.
A third witness chased the suspect down the stairs and momentarily grabbed him outside the ramp. However, he was able to get free, and the Good Samaritan lost sight of him near 4th Street.
Police were able to get surveillance images of the suspect, and an officer spotted him Thursday near the parking ramp. Hodges was wearing the same clothes.
Both victims picked Hodges out of a police lineup. He is currently being held in the Hennepin County Jail.
If convicted on all counts, Hodges could face up to 110 years in prison.