Crimes plague block party weekend
From staff reports
Posted on August 31, 2006

The Harrisonburg Police Department received approximately 12 reports of various crimes between Friday night and Sunday morning.

The HPD reported two cases in “particular stand out.”

Maurice Cutler of Toano was apprehended after he resisted arrest and attempted to run away. Cutler was in the 1300 block of Bradley Drive on Sunday morning at 1 a.m. He had a .38-cal handgun in his possession while being arrested.

On Friday night, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Central Security Guards, employed by the property management, observed Steve J. Hotmar, of Yorktown, Pa., sexually assaulting a female who was passed out. After fleeing, one Central Guard and several Alcohol Beverage Control agents apprehended him. Hotmar was also charged with drunk in public, underage possession of alcohol, possession of marijuana and aggravated sexual assault.

The HPD “stresses the need for awareness among the students and the residents within the off-campus housing areas.” The police department said in a press release the Harrisonburg community is safe but is not “immune to the same type of crimes that occur in larger cities.