Police Make Arrest in Sexual Assault Case
Information from community leads to quick arrest
Duke Police arrested and charged a man with second-degree sexual offense for an assault of a female student on campus early Thursday morning.
Ahmad Hezam, 45, was arrested early Friday morning at his apartment on 1315 Morreene Road.
“I just want to commend the investigators with the Duke Police Department for their swift action to identify and apprehend the suspect in this case,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration.
“We are grateful for the community’s quick response to provide critical information in the investigation,” he said. “Because of this information, we were able to make an arrest within 24 hours of the incident.”
Duke Police received a report late Thursday afternoon of a sexual assault of a female student by a taxi driver. The incident occurred on Science Drive of Duke’s West Campus.
The student reported taking a taxi with others from Shooters II on West Morgan Street. After returning to campus and once the other passengers had left, the student reported that the taxi driver touched her inappropriately. The student was able to exit the vehicle and run away.
The taxi has been impounded as part of the investigation, and Hezam is being held in the Durham County Jail with bond set at $500,000.