Grand Forks police have arrested and charged a man in connection with a robbery and sexual assault reported in the early hours of Sept. 30.

At 2 a.m., the police officers responded to an emergency call from an apartment complex on 13th Avenue North in Grand Forks. The suspect allegedly entered the apartment through a sliding glass door which was open at the time of the break-in.

On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Grand Forks Police Department charged a 20-year-old man named Antonio Raheem Matthews with the crimes.

Matthews was charged with three counts of gross sexual assault, which is a class AA felony in North Dakota. He also was charged with two counts of robbery and felonious restraint and one count of terrorizing. His bail has been set at $500,000.

Shortly after the assault, the GFPD released the description of a 6 foot 1 inch, 200-230 pound black male with dark hair.

Reports said the suspect was  carrying a gun at the time of the incident.

UND students received an alert with this information the afternoon of Sept. 30 from the university notification system.

Police were able to identify Matthews based on his physical characteristics and his tattoos.

He was arrested at Cenex gas station on Gateway Drive after being identified by a police officer.

“I saw him pumping gas, and then an officer walked up to and started talking to him” Cenex employee Kelsey Hirsch said. “All of a sudden, three cop cars pulled up, and I could tell something was going on. Police and an investigator came in and started asking questions.

“Apparently he came  (to Cenex) the night that it happened right after he left (the apartment).”

After searching his home and car, police found clothes  matching the descriptions provided by the victims, two handguns, the victims’ cell phones, which were stolen during the assault, and an undisclosed amount of cash.

The handguns found were pellet guns although it is unknown whether either of the guns was the gun used in the crime.

If Matthews is convicted of a class AA felony, he could receive life imprisonment without parole, the maximum penalty available for a crime in North Dakota.

UND Dean of Students Cara Halgren stresses students living on or off campus should take necessary precautions to make sure they are safe in their homes.

“I’ve been involved in this work a long time, and I’m a firm believer that you should do anything you can to make your surroundings safer,” Halgren said. “A student living off campus who takes the right precautions could possibly be safer than one living on campus who takes no precautions.

“It is important to be cautious of your surroundings. This includes the usual staying away from dark areas, walk with other people at night, lock your doors, and so on.”

Larry Philbin is the news editor of The Dakota Student. He can be reached at lawrence.philbin@my.und.edu