The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department (UNLPD) has made an arrest in connection to an early Sunday morning assault with a hate crime enhancement on campus.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department
Several parties told officers the next day they were walking on the sidewalk of N.16th Street outside of Jorgensen Hall around 2 a.m. when an unknown male approached them, made derogatory comments about the LGBTQA+ community, and assaulted one of the members of the group. The suspect then fled the area on foot.
UNLPD issued a safety bulletin to students and faculty on Tuesday with a description of the suspect, seeking help identifying him.
Later that morning, investigators identified the suspect as a 21-year-old Cale Wacker of Norfolk, Nebraska. UNLPD says he is not affiliated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The suspect was arrested on a charge of third-degree assault with a hate crime enhancement, making this a class IV felony under Nebraska State Law.
A hate crime is defined by the Clery Act as a criminal offense that manifests evidence based on sufficient objective facts that the victim was intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias against the victim. The categories of bias in the Clery Act are race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability.
Police Chief Hassan Ramzah commends his department for their quick action investigating the case and would like to thank the campus and surrounding community for their response to police asking for their help to identify the suspect. Wacker was identified after his image was distributed to the public through Crimestoppers.
“We had several tips reported on Crimestoppers and are very appreciative for the public’s help in making an arrest in this case,” Ramzah said.
Wacker was transported to the Lancaster County Jail where he awaits his first court appearance.