Watch CBS News

Suspect Arrested For Kidnapping & Sexual Assault Of UTA Student

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - On Wednesday a student at the University of Texas at Arlington was kidnapped and sexually assaulted at gunpoint. Thursday morning police made an arrest in the case.

The Arlington Police Department fugitive team tracked down Joel Engobo Mambe at a home in Fort Worth and took him into custody without incident.

Joel Engobo Mambe
Joel Engobo Mambe (credit: Arlington Police Department)

Police say the female victim was at the Midtown Apartments, near the UTA campus, when she was approached by a man with a gun. The woman was forced to drive her car to an ATM and withdraw money and afterward was sexually assaulted at gunpoint.

After the assault the victim was forced to drive to a convenience store and withdraw more money. After getting the cash the suspect forced her to drive to an unknown location where jumped out of the car and ran away on foot.

When police took Mambe, 20, into custody they say they also recovered "the victim's property including her debit card and the gun used in the offense".

Investigators told CBS 11 News they spotted Mambe, who was unidentified at the time, on surveillance video from an Arlington apartment complex. Watching the tape and seeing the direction he was walking they were able to narrow down a small number of apartments that he may have visited. After getting a possible name for the suspect, police pulled a mugshot of Mambe, showed it to the victim and she identified him as her attacker.

Mambe, who also has outstanding warrants in Dallas and Tarrant County, will be charged with Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Sexual Assault.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.