A 27-year-old Joliet, Illinois man, suspected of sexually assaulting a woman at the Morton Street Parking Garage in Bloomington, Indiana was arrested Wednesday, September 7, 2022 in Joliet, according to Bloomington Police Department Captain Ryan Pedigo. Joliet is in the Chicago suburbs.
According to a press release:
“Andre J. Hardy (DOB 05/14/1995) has been charged with the following:
Rape, level 3 felony
Criminal Confinement, level 5 felony
Sexual Battery, level 6 felony”
Hardy was captured on video at the garage when a woman was sexually assaulted last Thursday. BPD credited members of the public for helping identify the suspect from images shared online.
Here is the entire text of the release:
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2022
For more information, please contact:
Captain Ryan Pedigo
Bloomington Police Department
(812)349-3324
[email protected]
Bloomington Police Investigate Sexual Assault – UPDATE
An 18-year-old woman reported that she was assaulted in a parking garage in the 200 block of N Morton Street just after 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 1st. The woman stated that she had entered the garage from the alleyway in the 200 block of W 6th Street and had walked up the steps to the third floor where she began looking for her vehicle. She reported to investigators that as she was walking up the ramp towards the fourth floor, she noticed that a man appeared to be following her. She said the man then grabbed her from behind and tackled her into a parking space between two parked vehicles, where the suspect sexually assaulted her.
The victim began to yell for help and heard footsteps approaching, at which time the suspect got up and ran from the scene. The suspect went back down the steps that the victim had used to get to the third floor and then ran from the garage heading north across 7th Street.
Within a very short period of time after the photographs of the suspect were released to the media seeking public assistance, several individuals contacted the Bloomington Police with information about the suspect’s identity. The suspect was identified as Andre J. Hardy (27, Joliet, IL). A probable cause affidavit was submitted to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office and an arrest warrant for Hardy was issued. Investigators began attempting to locate Hardy and eventually determined that he had left Bloomington and was in Joliet, Illinois.
On September 7th at approximately 8:40 a.m., detectives with the Bloomington Police Department, along with members of the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and deputies with the Will County (IL) Sheriff’s Office located Hardy in the 1300 block of Ada Street in Joliet, where he was taken into custody without incident. Hardy was transported to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, where detectives interviewed him. Upon the completion of the interview, Hardy was remanded to the custody of the Will County Adult Detention Facility where he will await extradition to Monroe County.
Andre J. Hardy (DOB 05/14/1995) has been charged with the following:
Rape, level 3 felony
Criminal Confinement, level 5 felony
Sexual Battery, level 6 felony
The Bloomington Police Department is extremely appreciative of those that called in with information that led to the identification of Hardy and thanks all of those that shared the photographs which ultimately led to his arrest.
No further information is available to be released at this time.
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Under Indiana law, criminal charges are merely accusations and the defendant is
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A booking photo of Hardy is not available, but may be obtained by contacting the Will County Adult Detention Facility.:
