Wanted University of Houston assault suspect arrested by authorities

HOUSTON - The search for a man wanted in connection with an assault at the University of Houston has been captured.

UH assault suspect arrested by authorities

What we know:

Eric Latroy Brown has been apprehended by authorities on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Harris County District Attorney's Office said Brown was arrested at the Texas and St. Emanuel Street intersection. 

Eric Brown

The D.A.'s office said Brown was riding the METROrail when a civilian recognized him. 

Brown was taken into custody by authorities. 

METRO police statement:

"This afternoon, METRO Police officers monitoring surveillance cameras noticed a man walking on light rail tracks that matched the description of the University of the University of Houston sexual assault suspect. METRO Police reacted quickly and arrested the suspect at the EaDo Platform, located at Texas and Emancipation Streets, at approximately 2:48 p.m. The safety and security of METRO customers and employees is our top priority. We will continue to work hard every day to continue to earn their trust. The case is still under investigation. We are unable to provide additional details at this time."

UH statement:

"Eric Brown, the suspect in the Feb. 7 sexual assault of a University of Houston student at the Welcome Center Parking Garage, was arrested at 3 p.m. this afternoon near the intersection of Texas Ave. and St. Emanuel St. east of downtown Houston. Brown was riding the METROrail when a civilian recognized him and alerted authorities.
Brown’s arrest is a critical step toward justice for the victim and the safety on our campus. This morning, UH Police, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Crime Stoppers of Houston announced a $5,000 reward for his arrest. We commend the coordinated efforts of law enforcement across the region and the alert bystander for their actions in bringing him into custody.

Stay Vigilant and Utilize Resources
While this arrest provides some relief, our work to enhance campus security continues. We have increased police presence, expanded security patrols and strengthened partnerships with local law enforcement to ensure a secure environment for our campus community.We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, stay aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to UHPD at (713) 743-3333."

The backstory:

Brown is accused of raping a student in the campus welcome garage on February 7 at 5:30 p.m., according to court records. 

Brown was identified as the suspect in one of the latest sexual assaults was arrested hours after the crime happened and released from jail just hours after that, according to records. 

The initial arrest:

His booking information on the Harris County website shows that Latroy was booked into jail that night and released the morning of Feburary 8. The county jail confirmed this. 

A complaint in the case says that hours after the rape, around 11:40 p.m., two officers encountered Brown. 

The complaint does not specify if officers thought Brown was the rape suspect, the document simply says they "approached" Brown.

The document goes on to say Brown did not comply with their commands to get on the ground. The document says that an altercation followed, and the officers ultimately tasered and detained Brown. 

The Harris County District Attorney says that night their intake was presented with the charges of "resisting arrest" and "assault on an officer" for Brown, and that their office declined those charges due to insufficient evidence. 

They could not confirm if any information about Brown being involved in the rape was presented to their office at that time. 

How could this happen? :

Defense attorney Anthony Osso explains that the DA's office cannot accept charges without probable cause and a suspect can't be held without evidence. 

The DA's office says they received a filing for the sexual assault charge on Tuesday, February 11 and accepted those charges on Wednesday, February 12. 

"This looks like a possible miscommunication between officers," he said. "There might not have been a ‘be on look out’ throughout the agency at that time, and if those officers didn't have those details, they couldn't present them to the district attorney's office."