Two men have been arrested in connection with three groping cases at or near Georgia State University earlier this week, and police used social media to capture one of the suspects.
Zaquaris Q. Carter was arrested Wednesday and Brandon Hunt was captured Thursday, officials said. Carter faces sexual battery charges, while Hunt was charged with criminal trespass and two counts of sexual battery.
After the alleged assaults, police initially said they believed one man was behind all three incidents. They determined that was not the case.
Police believe Hunt groped two women on GSU’s campus Monday, near Langdale Hall as well as Library South and Library Plaza.
MORE: Man accused of groping 2 students at Georgia State
GSU police identified Hunt as the suspect after releasing surveillance images of him to the public Wednesday.
A female officer found Hunt on Facebook, contacted him and “lured him to a meeting with us,” university police Chief Joseph Spillane told AJC.com. Hunt was arrested at 87 Peachtree Street without incident, according to a safety alert sent out by campus police.
Hunt is not a GSU student, Spillane said. He received a $5,000 signature bond, according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
In a separate case, Atlanta police responded to the 100 block of Auburn Avenue on Tuesday and spoke with a woman who said she worked at the location, department spokesman Officer Jarius Daugherty said. The woman told officers while she was outside cleaning windows, a man approached her and made comments.
“The victim stated that she did not acknowledge him until he got close to her,” Daugherty said. “At that point, the victim advised the male to back away from her. After making another comment, the male hit her on her lower backside.”
The woman then said someone inside the business saw the incident and came outside to confront the man, according to Daugherty. The witness told the man he was calling police, and the man left.
An Atlanta police officer saw a man, later identified as Carter, lying in a driveway on Auburn Avenue about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Daugherty said.
“The officer detained the male and was able to determine he was the same male from the assault,” he said.
Atlanta police arrested him and took him to the Fulton County Jail.
Carter, 18, was granted a $4,000 bond during a Thursday court appearance, and the case was sent to mental health court, according to the sheriff’s office.
