Honk News (St. Louis Park, MN) – A teenager from Hopkins has been taken into custody and faces charges for the sexual assault of multiple women on a trail in the Twin Cities.
An 18-year-old named Jeremiah S. Ellis faced charges on Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court, where he was accused of three felony counts related to fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct linked to incidents occurring on the Cedar Lake Trail, situated between Minneapolis and St. Louis Park.
Ellis faces charges for assaulting three women on a single day, with court documents suggesting he may have aimed at as many as five women during the previous fall.
Ellis was taken into custody on Monday and was released on his own recognizance by Thursday afternoon. He is set to make a court appearance on May 8.
A woman reported to authorities that she has encountered Ellis nearly every day while jogging on the trail, typically finding him seated on a bench along the path. In a shocking incident, she reported that he groped her before speeding away on an electric scooter.
Read More – California High School Teacher Injured in Classroom Attack, Student Arrested on Assault Charges
On that same day, a different woman reported to the authorities that Ellis had seized her hips from behind and pressed his groin against her. Her cries drove him away in fear.
On that same day, the third woman reported that Ellis seized her arms from behind and embraced her tightly. She recounted that as she was leaving, he struck her in the head.
“Police noted similar assaults [on Oct. 9 and 10] involving a male who matches [Ellis’] description,” the charges read.
A woman reported to the police that while she was jogging on the trail Monday, she noticed Ellis riding an electric scooter. She contacted law enforcement, who promptly took him into custody.
According to the criminal complaint, Ellis admitted to slapping his first accuser, stating that he was “excited to hit [her] buttocks and then get away.”
Authorities have gathered garments from the victims to analyze for any DNA that Elllis may have left.