A man was arrested near DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus after unlawfully restraining and attacking two female students at DePaul, according to Public Safety and Chicago police. 

On Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m., the DePaul community received a Public Safety alert notifying the university of two instances of aggravated assault on the Lincoln Park campus.

In the first incident, Public Safety was notified that a student was attacked in the first floor bathroom of the Schmitt Academic Center (SAC) located at 2320 N Kenmore Ave. Public Safety reported in the alert that the student was able to scare off the offender using the duress button in the bathroom.

While Public Safety officers were speaking with this student, they were notified of a second attack at the Sheffield Garage where another student was attacked by the same offender. This student was also able to get away and the offender fled the scene. 

The same offender took a backpack from the Student Center belonging to a 22-year-old female student at DePaul just after 5:15 p.m., police say. 

Chicago police identified the offender as Frank Redd, a 26-year-old man from Madison, Wisconsin, according to a press release.

All three incidents occurred over the span of two hours. Police arrested Redd the same day at 5:36 p.m. in the 900 block of West Belden Avenue. 

Redd was identified by police as the offender who took the backpack from the Student Center. He was also charged in connection with the incidents of aggravated battery and unlawful restraint of a 22-year-old female at 3:58 p.m. in the Sheffield Garage and the unlawful restraint of a 28-year-old female at 3:45 p.m. in the SAC. 

 According to Public Safety, all three victims are current students at DePaul. 

Russell Dorn, a university media spokesperson, said in light of the recent incidents, they encourage all DePaul community members to sign up for DPU Alerts and be aware of the blue emergency call boxes, house telephones and duress buttons located throughout both campuses. 

“We are incredibly thankful that both students were able to escape these attacks and have reached out to them to provide support and resources,” Dorn said. “Their quick thinking in the face of an attack was incredibly brave. There are inherent risks when out in public, but if we look out for each other, we can keep each other safe. Being safe is everyone’s responsibility. We are also appreciative of the Chicago Police Department’s quick work in arresting the suspect.”

Dorn said safety is the university’s top priority and they are currently exploring ways to further protect students on campus including possibly adding security features to DePaul’s buildings. 

“DePaul Public Safety is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has offices in both the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses,” Dorn said. “We encourage anyone in the DePaul community to call Public Safety if they see something suspicious. We also encourage everyone to have a plan and to think about how they would handle different scenarios in case of an emergency. They can use this approach not only on campus, but also anywhere they go.”

Redd was charged with two felony counts of unlawful restraint, one felony count of aggravated battery and use of a deadly weapon, and one misdemeanor count of theft.

His court date was Friday, April 14 at the Central Bond Court.