On Tuesday, a UIC student explained how he came to the rescue of a classmate who was being attacked in her dormitory shower. David Guerrero is a freshman student at UIC from Cicero. He was among the first to respond when he heard screams coming from the girl's restroom in the Commons South dormitory.
Guerrero first heard the screams for help coming from a student in the hall of the 5th floor dorm room. He knew something was wrong, and he responded quickly.
"Immediately I followed her down to the girl's bathroom, I opened the door and I asked if everything was OK. I heard a scream, so I entered. I saw the suspect in there, and the victim was clearly distraught and scared," said Guerrero.
Police say a Chicago man, 28-year-old Tavares Humphries, sexually assaulted a female student in the shower area of the bathroom. Guerrero says he told the victim to run out, and he then dealt with the suspect, who he says put up no real struggle.
"I just escorted him out, he was incoherent and he stood up and I grabbed him and I helped him walk out of the restroom and sat him down in the hallway," said Guerrero.
Guerrero says other students helped in the hallway until UIC police arrived to take Humphries into custody. UIC officials say they have yet to determine how the suspect entered the dorm.
But some students say it was likely not that difficult.
"In my experience anyone can walk into the building as long as they're following a UIC student to open the door," said Amanda Vitrano, UIC freshman.
University officials say access to the dorms is supposed to be restricted. But since the incident, the school has beefed up the police presence around the dorms and tightened access further.
"What has changed is that in the evening, to bring in a guest, you're required to sign that guest in at a staffed entrance. That has now been instituted around the clock," said Bill Burton, UIC spokesperson.
The spokesperson says the school has an extensive video security system that will likely be able to pinpoint how and the suspect entered the dorm. In the meantime, he and others are calling Guerrero a hero.
"My father raised me to be like this. If people want to call me a hero that's fine, but I don't think I did anything that anybody else wouldn't have done. I helped somebody to in need," said Guerrero.
Humphries is charged with one count each of attempted murder, aggravated criminal sex assault, aggravated kidnapping, battery of a police officer and residential burglary.
The victim received minor medical treatment.
