Man allegedly sexually assaults woman at Chippenham Hospital

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Richmond police are searching for a man who allegedly assaulted an employee at Chippenham Hospital.

They say the assault happened around 7 a.m. Sept. 1 while the woman was riding the elevator.

“We don’t know if he was a patient or if he works there. We are unsure who he is as a person,” said Detective Devin Davenport.

Investigators say when the suspect left the hospital, he may have got onboard a GRTC bus. The woman alerted security, who then contacted RPD.

“When officers arrived, the victim was with security staff already. They were holding onto her, and helping her in every way she needed before officers arrived,” said Davenport.

RPD says hospital security was crucial in this investigation. They turned over surveillance tapes so officers could work to identify the suspect. However, once officers were unsuccessful, they released his picture to the public.

Now detectives are working to find him, saying the attack was random, which leads them to believe he could strike again.

HCA-Virginia also sent a statement about the incident: “HCA Virginia confirms that a sexual assault involving one of our employees happened in a Chippenham Hospital elevator. We are working with the Richmond Police Department and supplied security footage to help identify the suspect. We continuously assess our security resources to ensure the safety of our patients and our colleagues.”

If you happen to know this man or have seen him contact the Major Crimes Department at 804-646-3930 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

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