CHARGED: 32-year-old Derrick Brown, in connection with attempted sexual assault in Riverwest

MILWAUKEE (WITI) — 32-year-old Derrick Brown is facing criminal charges in connection with an attempted sexual assault that occurred in December in the Riverwest neighborhood.

Derrick Brown

Brown is charged with attempted first degree sexual assault (use of a dangerous weapon) and kidnapping (carries forcibly).

The incident occurred on Friday, December 12th on North Bremen Street.

Police spoke with the victim in this case at Froedtert Hospital -- as she was receiving treatment for numerous injuries.

That victim told police she was walking down the street -- headed for a food store on December 12th when a man approached her -- grabbing her arm, saying "hey, hey."

Police say the victim told them the man had a gun, and he pointed it at the left side of her head, saying "just be quiet. I have a gun. You need to come with me."

A criminal complaint says the two continued to walk, with the victim telling the man she didn't have anything -- believing he was attempting to rob her.

The man said: "Yes, yes you do. You need to come over here and take your pants off," police say.

Realizing the man was planning to rape her, the woman said: "No. Please don't do this."

The complaint says at one point, the victim tried pulling away from the man, but she was unable to get away. She then started to yell for help, and the man said "Shut up. Don't do it," according to police.

That's when the victim says the man started hitting her several times on the back of her head with the gun, and she fell to the ground. She was then struck in the face. The victim told police the suspect said: "Shut up. Do you want to get shot?"

The victim then heard another man in the area say: "what is going on?" and the suspect fled.

The victim ran to a nearby home, and police were called.

Near the scene of the crime, police recovered a slide piece stuck in metal fencing -- part of a replica gun. That slide appeared to have blood on it -- and it was sent to State Crime Laboratory for testing.

DNA recovered from that slide was determined to be that of Derrick Brown.

This sexual assault was originally thought to be connected to others on Milwaukee’s north side.

After an arrest was made for those assaults, investigators determined that suspect was not responsible for the Riverwest assault and, a different suspect (Derrick Brown) was identified using that DNA evidence recovered from the recovered slide.

Brown was found in a home near 48th and Clarke on January 16th. Police say he jumped from a window and ran from officers, but was arrested after being chased and bitten by a Milwaukee Police K9.

FOX6 News spoke with Brown's aunt. She says she never thought her nephew was the culprit.

"I`m sorry that he did that. I`m sorry about what he did to that lady. I`m glad that she`s okay, but he has to pay for what he did," Patricia Davis said.

Davis says she thinks her nephew needs help, and she says she'll continue to pray for him.

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