Police arrested a 30-year-old Salt Lake City man Wednesday in connection with the violent attack and sexual assault of a female jogger in November of 2018.
Nicholas J. Campbell is charged with battery with intent to commit a serious felony and infliction of great bodily injury.
Officers with the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Bountiful Police Department arrested Campbell Wednesday afternoon at his Salt Lake City area workplace on the Idaho arrest warrant.
The warrant calls for the extradition of Campbell back to Idaho. The crimes are punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
Our investigators have been in regular contact with the victim in the case, and she is aware Campbell is now in custody in Utah.
The woman does not know Campbell, who until recently lived in the same neighborhood – Charter Pointe, which is in the Lake Hazel/Maple Grove roads area south of Boise — where the crime occurred. It appears Campbell targeted the woman while observing her daily running route without her knowing.
Figuring out who was responsible for the brazen and violent attack has been a high priority for ACSO’s Major Crimes unit, led by Detective Shellie Strolberg, for over two years.
Detectives and patrol deputies have been relentlessly working on the case, interviewing dozens of people and collecting and reviewing all kinds of evidence – including the gathering of multiple DNA swabs from people of interest in the case.
Detectives identified Campbell as a person of interest last spring after being contacted by a neighboring law enforcement agency investigating a different crime.
A combination of comprehensive detective work and development of DNA evidence over the last year identified Campbell as the attacker.
Ada County prosecutors presented the evidence to 4th District Magistrate Michael Oths earlier this week, who issued the arrest warrant for Campbell with a $1 million bond attached.
The attack occurred just after 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2018. The woman was running her regular jogging route and was headed west on W. Brogan Drive, between S. Seabreeze Way and S. Elinor Rose Avenue, when she was attacked from behind by a man who grabbed her around the neck.
The woman immediately began kicking and fighting to get away when she was knocked to the ground.
The man then choked her from behind, as she was lying in the street, and she lost consciousness.
The man sexually assaulted the runner while she was unconscious.
Soon after the woman woke up, the man ran east from W. Brogan Drive toward S. Seabreeze Way.
A woman driving east on Brogan Drive near Elinor Rose Avenue saw the woman in the road and stopped to help her and call 911.
The woman did not get a good look at her attacker’s face. Prior to the assault, she had been running while holding her cell phone with the flashlight on but did not see where he came from.
She did get a good look at his clothes and was able to give a detailed physical description.
She sustained multiple injuries and abrasions in the attack.
DNA evidence from the attack eventually identified as a match with Campbell, who fit the physical description.
Detectives have determined Campbell has a violent sexual history with women and is a person of interest in at least one other sexual assault case.
Detectives would like anyone with information about Campbell to call (208) 577-3788 or send an email to [email protected]
Our agency would like to thank the 100+ people our investigators talked to in the Charter Pointe neighborhood and everyone who called in a tip, checked their security videos, or provided information to us for over the last two years.
Pretty much everybody we reached out to was cooperative and tried to help any way they could. Several people of interest willingly allowed our deputies to take DNA samples. It was because of all that help we were able to solve this case, and we thank you.
We feel very fortunate to serve a community where people care for each other.