"Man accused of seeking tip reward for assault he committed" by Sarah Roberts and Felicia Gans Globe Correspondents August 24, 2015
A Methuen man was ordered held without bail Monday pending a dangerousness hearing for allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old woman Sunday, and later trying to collect a reward for tips about the crime, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office said.
Kevin Suarez, 31, is charged with assault with intent to rape, kidnapping, and indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14, Ryan’s office said. He was arraigned in Lowell District Court Monday.
The woman told police she was walking on Middlesex Street toward Branch Street around 3:50 a.m. Sunday when someone approached from behind, assaulted her, and dragged her down an alley, according to Lowell police.
What was she doing walking around at 4 in the morning?
The woman screamed for help as the assault went on for several minutes, the statement said. A witness came running and confronted the attacker, who fled along Nichols Street toward Westford Street.
And a witness, too?
The woman went to the Lowell Fire Department facility to report the attack. She was taken to Lowell General Hospital, the statement said.
On Monday, Suarez went to the Lowell police station to give a crime tip about the assault and receive a reward, according to Lowell police Captain Timothy Crowley, who said the assault was “particularly brutal.”
“He probably had a feeling he was on video somewhere, so he wanted to get ahead of it and explain why he was in the area,” Crowley said.
After questioning Suarez and reviewing video surveillance of him in the area of the attack, Lowell police determined he was the attacker and arrested him, Crowley said.
Suarez will return to court on Aug. 31 for the dangerousness hearing.
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