A 21-year-old Waukesha County man was charged Friday in connection with the sexual assaults of two women near the Marquette University campus last week.
Kendrick L. Mitchell of Oconomowoc is accused of grabbing the buttocks of both women in two separate incidents and then lying to police about it.
He was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and one count of obstructing an officer. If convicted, he faces up to 27 months in prison and $30,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
At 21-year-old Marquette student finished up her last class on the night at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and while walking west on West Wells Street near North 16th Street, a man later identified as Mitchell approached her and began to speak at her. The woman began to walk north on 17th towards West Kilbourn Avenue and Mitchell continued to follow her and talk about how man girls her gets and that he likes to have fun.
He then told the woman he lived about an hour away from Milwaukee and was in the area visiting. The woman turned west on Klibourn and Mitchell again followed, then began to touch the woman’s buttock.
She told him to stop and that she has a boyfriend, but Mitchell again touched her, so she later called the Milwaukee Police Department.
The second victim was a 20-year-old woman who at 10:05 p.m. Sept. 29 was walking on Wells between North 20th and 21st streets, when Mitchell walked past going in the opposite direction then grabbed her buttocks. She tried to pull away, but he then grabbed her breasts. She eventually broke free and began to run away while Mitchell yelled “hey, come back here.”
She called police and officers responded to the area and found Mitchell on Wells, where he ran, but was eventually arrested in the 2600 block of Wells.
When asked about the first incident, Mitchell told officers he was hanging out on the Marquette campus near the library when he saw an attractive woman he was compelled to approach. He told officers he kept speaking to the woman, but she wouldn’t respond.
He said the woman had the look of being in trouble on her face while he spoke to her, but he wanted to hug her, however, contended he never touched her.
The victims were able to identify Mitchell via photo lineups.
He’s currently being held in Milwaukee County Jail while awaiting trial.
