Investigators have arrested Michael E. Hicks, 22, of Rochester, for allegedly assaulting Michal Kociuba, a freshman exercise science major, early Sunday morning on South Campus, University Police announced Tuesday afternoon.
Kociuba was assaulted in the Goodyear Residence Hall lobby in an apparently unprovoked attack, according to UPD Chief of Police Gerald W. Schoenle.
The assault occurred at approximately 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, according to a UPD press release. UPD was contacted at 5:31 a.m. and arrived on the scene within a minute. A UB Alert was sent to the UB community at 8:42 a.m. on Sunday, stating that UPD was investigating the assault.
Kociuba was treated for minor injuries and released from Erie County Medical Center on Sunday morning. The victim claimed he did not know Hicks, according to Schoenle.
Hicks, a 2010 alumnus, graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting. In a 2008 article published in Generation, Hicks was profiled for a lack of interest in his job with the Anti-Rape Task Force, now referred to as SBI Safety Services. Hicks was serving community service hours assigned to him after he punched and broke glass at a bus stop on campus, according to the article.
"I don't like authority," Hicks said in the article. "I will never ever volunteer for Anti-Rape [Task Force] unless there is cash money."
UPD confirmed that Hicks served community service hours for that incident.
Two photographs of the assailant from surveillance cameras in the Goodyear Residence Hall lobby were released to media outlets and the UB police Facebook page shortly after the incident. The assailant was believed to be highly intoxicated at the time of the assault.
Schoenle was unsure of how the assailant entered the residence hall but stated that resident assistants were not on duty at the time. According to the Goodyear residence office, resident assistants are on duty in the RA office in the lobby from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weeknights and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends. Swipe access cards are always necessary for entrance into the residence hall.
Several students contacted UPD to identify the suspect, according to Schoenle. Hicks surrendered at UPD headquarters Tuesday afternoon and was arrested by Investigator Wayne Colton.
Hicks was charged with assault in the third degree, harassment in the second degree, and trespassing. He was released after booking an appearance in Buffalo City Court on May 3. Additionally, Hicks is banned from UB property, according to the press release.
Over the past year, UB has installed new lighting, 19 blue light phones, and 76 new security cameras – including the camera that photographed the suspect – on South Campus, according to Schoenle. There is currently a similar project to update security features on North Campus, as well.
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
