Airport workers honored for stopping alleged rape
DENVER, CO
"We just kinda did what anybody should do," Mark Adams said.
Adams of Denver and Kris Musil of Parker, Colo., say they
witnessed the April incident from the jetway through a window and
ran to help the woman.
The family of the woman has said she had missed a connecting
flight at the airport and was waiting for the next plane when she
and 26-year-old Noel Bertrand struck up a conversation at a
restaurant.
They said Bertrand followed her out of the eatery, sat down
beside her and tried to kiss her. When she refused, he threw her to
the floor and assaulted her, according to the family.
The family has said that at least three people the woman
believed to be airport workers walked by during the assault and did
nothing.
Police say other people saw the incident and telephoned for help
without intervening but provided good witness information for
investigators. Airport officials say airport workers responded
appropriately.
Musil said Tuesday that he and Adams had been working on the
ramp shortly after midnight on April 12 when they noticed a
commotion in the window.
"We really couldn't tell what was going on. It looked like
something was being stuffed into a suitcase," Adams said.
It wasn't until the they saw hair flipping up as the suspect
violently shook the victim that they realized it was a person being
attacked.
"I looked over at Mark, yelled `Let's go,' and he was already
on his way over," Musil said.
The made it from the ramp to the gate in minutes, Adams said,
and he started yelling at the suspect to "knock it off," as soon
as they got there.
"Mark got there a little before me, from one direction, and I
came around the other direction. And (the suspect) was looking at
Mark, and looked back at me, and kinda stopped," Musil said.
Adams said the suspect tried to play off the incident by
pretending he knew the woman and telling them they "don't know the
difference between rough sex and fighting."
"But it was clear it was not something she was wanting to do,"
Adams said.
Ed David, a sex crimes detective with the Denver police
department, said the Frontier Airlines employees prevented a bad
situation from turning worse.
"The victim stated that the suspect had grabbed her by the hair
and shoulders, violently slamming her head against the floor. The
suspect then sexually assaulted the victim," David said.
David said the workers corned the suspect and prevented the
attacker from leaving the scene. David said their vigilance kept
the investigation from hitting a dead end.
Police say Adams and Musil detained the suspect until security
could arrive and helped the victim go through her luggage as she
looked for an inhaler to calm her shallow, rapid breathing.
"Mr. Musil stated that she had been crying heavily and not able
to catch her breath and had to use her inhaler several times,"
David said.
Musil and Adams were presented by Denver police with the Bill
Daniels Neighborhood Hero Award and $1,000 each on Tuesday for
thwarting the alleged assault.
"If it had not been for their involvement in the incident,
there is no doubt the victim could have been more seriously
injured," David said.
Bertrand, a former Marine from Portland, has been charged with
one count each of sexual assault and kidnapping in the case.
Bertrand could face a sentence of up to 12 years in prison if
convicted, but he would have to qualify for parole to be released
and could end up imprisoned for life even after completing his
term.
His public defender, Anna Salas, declined to comment.
Bertrand served in the Marines from 2003 to 2009 and was awarded
the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. His next court
appearance is July 14.
The Associated Press does not use the names of people who report
being sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified. The AP
isn't identifying the family members to protect the woman's
identity. Phone messages left by AP for the woman's relatives on
Tuesday weren't immediately returned.
Musil and Adams wore jeans, baseball caps and Frontier shirts to
the award ceremony. Both said they're overwhelmed by the
recognition.
"I'm not really used to anything like this," Musil said.
Both said they've been working for the airline for almost 12
years and had never seen anything like the assault before. They
haven't spoken to the victim since that night, but say she mouthed
"thank you" as she walked away.