Arrest in attack on Temple student

PHILADELPHIA - December 4, 2007 18-year-old Steven Holmes faces a number of charges including attempted murder. He was arrested shortly after the attack for another crime. Police say a DNA test that just came back linked him to the attack.

Until his arrest three weeks ago Holmes lived with his grandmother in the 1900 block of north 11th Street... just steps away from Temple University's Anderson Hall. Now, this teen with a troubled past is accused of brutally assaulting a 22-year-old Temple student on the second floor of the academic building on November 1st.

"She was brutally beaten. She was beaten into unconsciousness. This is really a horrific kind of crime," said Chief Insp. Keith Sadler of the Philadelphia Police.

The female student was approached from behind. Police say Holmes covered her face, dragged her into a men's room and assaulted her. Based on evidence Holmes quickly became a person of interest. Turns out he was already wanted for escaping from a juvenile detention facility. Police arrested him again November 16th and did DNA testing which they said today linked Holmes to the Temple attack.

Chief Insp. Sadler said, "They were able to extract DNA from a piece of evidence and it was processed at our laboratory. The scientists were able to give us a DNA profile of the complainant and of the suspect."

Today Temple students got an email from the university alerting them of the arrest. But because the suspect is not a student some still have concerns about their safety on campus.

Temple student Zoe Walters tells us, "I'm kind of shocked that someone from outside was able to just walk in like that."

The victim remains in the hospital. The suspect is held on $500,000 bail. Police say he has a juvenile record dating back several years, and they are checking to see if he has been involved in other crimes.