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GALLUP — Police say they have a suspect in a sexual assault that oc curred in the parking lot of the Uni versity of New Mexico-Gallup Branch, about two weeks ago, but denied rumors that a ‘parking lot rapist” has besieged Gallup. “That's a misconception,” Gallup Police Detective Tony Sanchez said of the rumors. But he said the suspect, who ap parently sexually assaulted a wom an after telling her that her car had mechanical problems and offered to help, may have approached several women in the college parking lot between last September and this month. The man, who is described as an adult-male Navajo, also approached several women at the Rio West Mall, but none were assaulted, Sanchez said. Police were able to identify the man by name based on descriptions from several women, Sanchez said. Detectives are now working with ‘Navajo Police’ investigators’ to lo cate the man, he added. No formal charges have been filed against the man, and he is wanted for questioning only, Sanchez said. All the women interviewed told substantially the same story, he said. The women said they were approached by a man who either asked for help with his car, or ‘‘no ‘ticed”” a mechanical problem with their cars, and offered to help fix it. “The tactics were the same,”’ he said. The woman who was assaulted told police that the man told her she had a leaky radiator hose and other problems, and spent several min utes looking at her car. She believed him, she said, because her car had a history of problems. At one point, the man asked her to push the clutch and accelerator ped als down simultaneously, she said. He told her to use her hands, and while she was bent over the man came from behind and assaulted her, she said. In other matters, police inves tigated two injury accidents Monday. Three people were hospitalized af ter a pickup driven by an allegedly drunken driver rear-ended their ve hicle at a 66 Avenue stoplight. Peter Nez, 47, of Crownpoint, was jailed for driving while intoxicated after his truck collided with a 1981 Chevrolet four-door, driven by Lucil le Dixon, 25, of Rehoboth. Ms. Dixon was headed west on 66 near Ford Drive and had stopped for a red light when the collision oc curred,an accident report says. Ms. Dixon and two others were carried from the scene by ambu lance crews and transported to Gal lup Indian Medical Center for treatment. The others were identified as Phyllis Dixon, 26, and Virginia Dix on, 54, also of Rehoboth. Nez and a passenger were repor tedly unhurt. Police say Nez left the scene of the collision, but later returned to the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, where he was arrested. Nez was also cited for leaving the scene of an accident involving in jury, careless driving and failure to provide proof of insurance.
Newspaper Details
Independent
Gallup, New Mexico, US
Tue, Mar 31, 1987
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Lucy H.
