A string of attacks that took place near campus last weekend involved a case of sexual assault, according to documents from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Seven people—most of them Columbia students—were assaulted in five incidents between 12:13 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12, all within a block of the Morningside Heights campus. The victims were either punched in the face or thrown to the ground by a group of seven males, but property was removed in only one incident.
Police arrested six suspects last week in connection with the assaults. The suspects, all teenagers, were identified through video and photo surveillance, which showed a group of seven committing the attacks. They have been charged with gang assault in the second degree.
DeShaun Busby, accused of participating in the attacks, was also charged with first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of third-degree assault, and forcible touching.
According to court records, Busby and four others attacked two 21-year-old students on 114th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam avenues at around 12:20 a.m. on Sunday.
Two of the attackers pushed one of the students—a male from the School of Engineering and Applied Science—to the ground, and another shoved his female companion “into a parked vehicle,” while Busby “grabbed [her] about the vagina,” the district attorney’s complaint against Busby stated.
“I linked up again on West 114th Street and grabbed some girl’s butt. I won’t lie—I grab some ass,” the 16-year-old Busby told police.
Busby also faces charges for three other attacks Sunday morning, in two of which he was identified through video surveillance. In one case, Busby and 18-year-old Quentin Cox struck a 26-year-old in the eyes, causing his glasses to shatter, on Amsterdam Avenue between 116th and 117th streets at around 12:25 a.m.
The victim’s glasses cut his eye, requiring 12 stitches “inside and outside of the eye” at St. Luke’s Hospital, the district attorney’s complaint stated. The man continues to have blurry vision.
“I was the only one that hit him, and I cut my right hand on his glasses. It was my idea to hit the guy,” Busby told police detectives when asked about the incident.
Minutes later, Cox, Busby, and five others attacked a 27-year-old student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as the victim walked with another student on Amsterdam Avenue between 119th and 120th streets. One of the victims received stitches to his mouth, while the GSAS student continues to suffer blurry vision as well.
Busby was released without bail in a court hearing Thursday, and is due back in court in February. Cox remains in custody after failing to post $5,000 bail, and will appear again in court on Tuesday.
Thomas Williams, 17, was arrested Sunday morning about half an hour after the attacks concluded. He was charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault and released from custody, but was rearrested Tuesday on harsher charges of gang assault.
Other suspects in custody are 17-year-old Lawrence Jones and 18-year-old Jan Germosen. The other attacks took place at 113th Street and Broadway and 112th Street and Amsterdam.
daniel.amzallag@columbiaspectator.com
