GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Shoppers at a south Mississippi outlet mall helped detain a man accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a woman in a restroom stall, police said.
The assault and robbery happened early Monday evening at the Gulfport Premium Outlets outdoor mall, Gulfport police said.
Andrew Malik Jones, 28, was charged with sexual battery and robbery, The Sun Herald reported. He’s jailed on a $1 million bond.
The woman told police that she was forced into a stall, where she was assaulted and raped.
Police say Jones grabbed her purse and attempted to leave, but was detained by bystanders before officers arrived.
It wasn’t known whether Jones has an attorney who could be reached for comment on his behalf.
Gulfport Premium Outlets General Manager Pam Meinzinger declined to comment to the newspaper. The mall includes about 70 store and is billed as the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s “premiere outdoor shopping destination,” its website says.
