Philadelphia Police: 23-Year-Old Quindell Campbell Arrested, Charged In Love Park Rape
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia police say a suspect has been arrested and charged in the Love Park rape case following a nearly two-week manhunt. Quindell Campbell, 23, was arrested Wednesday at his Olney home for allegedly raping a woman at the Center City park on Jan. 25.
Campbell has been charged with rape, aggravated assault and other related charges.
Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgmann said the attack was random and the suspect and victim didn't know each other.
"They did not know each other at all. We believe, based off the video evidence we recovered, he did follow her for at least some time," Burgmann said.
Police say Campbell followed a 41-year-old woman who was on her way to work during the early-morning hours of Jan. 25. According to police, he punched the victim multiple times in the back of the head and then raped her.
She had just gotten off the subway at 15th Street, authorities say.
Witnesses heard the victim's screams and called police.
When officers arrived, police say Campbell hid in the subway tunnels. Authorities say officers caught up with him, but he jumped about 25 feet down from street level into the subway entrance below and eventually got away.
"When we saw him following her into the park, there was no one else in the park. She was the only one going through the park and you can clearly see he had been following her," Burgmann said.
Detectives credited surveillance video from around the park as being pivotal in helping them track Campbell through the night leading up to the rape. They say their message is someone is always watching.
"If you decide to commit a crime on SEPTA, or if you decide to use SEPTA as your escape route, we're going to capture you on video," SEPTA Police Chief Thomas Nestel said.
Nestel says Campbell was seen clearly on several of SEPTA's 30,000 cameras overlooking its system.
"In incidents like this, people who are evil are going to understand that there are cameras everywhere and they better watch what they do," Nestel said.
A woman who lives down the street from where Campbell lived with his mother said she recognized him from the surveillance video released by police.
"I had a feeling but, I mean, anybody could have a coat like that," she said.
She told Eyewitness News that Campbell came to her house in December wearing the same coat that was seen on surveillance video.
"He came to bring a box here and he had the same coat on, so when I saw the footage in the news when he was falling on the subway, it resembled him because of the dreads, too," she said.
Police say Campbell cut off his dreads to disguise his appearance after they released the surveillance video.
Campbell had no prior arrests. Authorities are investigating whether he's connected to any other attacks or sexual assaults in the area.
Campbell is in jail on $2 million bail.
CBS3's Howard Monroe contributed to this report.