For the past few months, women in Larimer County and Fort Collins have been warned about a man who was assaulting women near Colorado State University campus. There were nine reported assault incidents happening between September and November. As of late November, a man has been arrested for this series of assaults.
Initially, this Fort Collins man was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman riding her bike in October, a Second Degree Assault charge. Now, in connecting him to more of the attacks, more charges have been added including:
- Unlawful Sexual Contact
- Harassment
- Third Degree Assault
- Three Counts of being a Habitual Criminal
Multiple Assaults: What’s the Difference Between Second and Third Degree Assault in Fort Collins?
The law defines Second Degree Assault – C.R.S 18-3-203 – as:
- With intent to cause bodily injury to another person, he or she causes such injury to any person by means of a deadly weapon; or
- With intent to prevent one whom he or she knows, or should know, to be a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider from performing a lawful duty, he or she intentionally causes bodily injury to any person; or
- He recklessly causes serious bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon; or
- For a purpose other than lawful medical or therapeutic treatment, he intentionally causes stupor, unconsciousness, or other physical or mental impairment or injury to another person by administering to him, without his consent, a drug, substance, or preparation capable of producing the intended harm; or
- While lawfully confined or in custody, he or she knowingly and violently applies physical force against the person of a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider engaged in the performance of his or her duties, or a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction, or an officer of said court.
C.R.S. 18-3-204 – Third Degree Assault – is defined by Colorado law as:
- The person knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person or with criminal negligence the person causes bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon; or
- The person, with intent to infect, injure, harm, harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person whom the actor knows or reasonably should know to be a peace officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, or an emergency medical service provider, causes the other person to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, feces, saliva, mucus, vomit, or toxic, caustic, or hazardous material by any means, including throwing, tossing, or expelling the fluid or material.
While not many details are being released about the injuries and victims in these cases, the man probably used a deadly weapon to cause bodily injury to these women, which would support the charge of Second Degree Assault. He probably was charged with Third Degree Assault because he intentionally caused bodily injury without the use of a deadly weapon.