21-year-old man accused, arrested in central Austin sex assault
Editor’s Note: This story features an account of alleged sexual assault. KXAN has withheld any identifying information for the privacy of those involved. If you are in distress or need someone to talk to, please call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 21-year-old man was arrested after he was accused of sexually assaulting a victim in central Austin last week, according to the Austin Police Department.
That man was identified as Vince Presley Job Ward, according to a news release from APD. He was charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of burglary of a residence (intent to commit sexual assault), one count of robbery and one count of burglary of residence, according to police.
KXAN has reached out to Ward's attorney. We will update this if a statement is received.
An investigation from APD revealed that around 3 a.m., March 27, Ward entered the victim's home on Mossrock Drive while they were sleeping. He then "committed the sexual assault," and the victim was able to "get away and sought help from neighbors," according to police.
"Ward then stole the victim’s wallet, phone, and vehicle," police said in the release.
APD's Sexual Assault detectives responded to the scene and performed an "extensive and rapid investigation." Ward was later arrested and booked into the Travis County Jail, according to police.
“The combined efforts of our Sex Crimes Unit, Special Victims Investigation Unit (SVIU), and Tac Intel were critical in ensuring the rapid apprehension of this suspect. Our teams worked diligently to gather the necessary evidence and execute this operation with precision. This arrest is an important step in holding offenders accountable and making our community safer," APD’s Sex Crimes Unit Detective Vonholt said in the release.
The incident remained under investigation Monday by police.