This post originally appeared at https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/brandon-andre-thompson/

The Madison Police Department has arrested a man for the brutal attack on a UW Madison College Student which happened early Sunday morning.

According to Dane County Jail booking records, Brandon Andre Thompson was arrested on Sept 6, 2023, at 12:24 a.m. on charges of first-degree reckless injury, strangulation, and first-degree sexual assault.

Sunday morning, a female college student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was left in critical condition after what police believed was a brutal and random attack downtown, Madison police say.

The police chief, Shon Barnes, speaking in a news conference Sunday, called it a “severe attack.” She had “severe signs of physical trauma,” according to the chief. He said medical professionals are working to stabilize the victim, and so it’s not yet clear the extent of her injuries, Barnes said. They haven’t spoken to the victim yet, he said.

“The woman was found along the 500 block of W. Wilson St. around 3:20 a.m. A person living in the area called for police after noticing the victim was severely beaten,” police wrote. There is a sidewalk and there are apartment complexes where the woman was found, Barnes said.

“The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon,” police wrote.  “Detectives and investigators are swabbing the area for biological evidence and recanvassing the area on Sunday.”