Aurora man accused of assaulting multiple women
Police have arrested an 18-year-old Aurora man and charged him with multiple felonies in connection to at least four attacks on different women in Aurora over the last month, officials said.
Zion Banks, of the 200 block of T Street, Aurora, was first detained after Aurora police interviewed a victim who they say identified Banks as the man who assaulted her.
A woman in her late 40s told detectives she was walking home on the 400 block of North Titsworth Avenue around 10 a.m. April 17 when she noticed a man following her. He approached her and grabbed her buttocks with both hands. The woman used an umbrella she was carrying to strike the man, and he fled the area.
Three other women had similar stories over the last few weeks, and one was actually pushed to the ground in an attempted sexual assault.
The police interviewed the three other victims, spoke to potential witnesses and collected physical evidence and video from the area of the incidents, which they say linked Banks to all four incidents.
The Kane County state's attorney's office has charged Banks with aggravated battery, attempted criminal sexual assault, unlawful restraint and obstructing identification.
Detectives believe Banks may be connected to similar assaults that occurred in the Aurora area in the past several months that were possibly not reported to police. They encourage women who believe they were victims of a similar crime or who have any information regarding a potential assault to call the Aurora Police Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500.
"The solving of these cases exemplifies what can be accomplished when members of the Aurora Department work together with citizens and the Kane County state's attorney's office to address crime issues within our community," Aurora Police Investigative Division Lt. Robb Wallers said. "The teamwork displayed in this investigation between our patrol officers, crime analyst, and investigators was crucial in the offender being apprehended before someone was seriously injured."