Suspect in UH sex assault refusing to cooperate with court or his lawyers

A Texas state representative is planning an emergency town hall on UH student safety after the rape on campus.

ByCourtney Carpenter

Friday, February 21, 2025

Emergency town hall on UH student safety planned after rape on campus

Meanwhile, the 40-year-old suspect facing three charges in the rape of a student on campus could have his $15 million bond modified during his scheduled court appearance on Friday.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A town hall is scheduled for Friday to discuss University of Houston student safety after a string of violent crimes on campus, including a sexual assault at knifepoint.

Meanwhile, Eric Brown, the 40-year-old man charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated sexual assault in the attack, appeared in court Friday.

Brown has refused to cooperate with the court and now with his lawyers. According to court records, Brown was assigned a public defender, though he initially refused one.

During Friday morning's court appearance, he refused to agree to the conditions of his $15 million bail.

That means he'll be in jail for the duration of the case or until he signs the agreement. His refusal to talk to anyone, including his court-appointed attorneys, further complicates the case.

"I just met him yesterday, and he's refused to communicate with (me or other attorneys)," Brown's defense attorney, Wilvin Carter, told ABC13 on Friday. "He gave some indication that he was going to communicate this morning, but once we got in court, he just ceased all communication."

Carter said they plan to file a motion to potentially lower Brown's bond.

"He has a right to have that amount reduced - especially knowing that he is homeless," Carter said. "That bond is exceedingly high, excessively high, so we want to make sure to protect his constitutional rights by at least trying to get that bond lowered to something that he can possibly make."

PREVIOUS REPORT: Suspect charged in rape of UH student in campus parking garage refuses to appear in court

After he was mistakenly released from police custody, officials spent a week searching for 40-year-old Eric Brown. A judge set his bond at $15 million total overnight.

Brown refused to go to his probable cause court appearance on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, he was supposed to appear again, but he was sent for a wellness check after attorneys said he had an altercation with the correctional officers and had his blood pressure elevated.

The rape of a 21-year-old UH student on the second floor of the Welcome Center Student Parking Garage happened on Feb. 7. According to charging documents, the victim was cleaning her vehicle as she was preparing for a sorority event when Brown came up to her and asked to borrow a pen. That's when Brown reportedly forced his way into her vehicle and raped her at knifepoint, documents said.

Two agencies are pointing the finger after a rape suspect at UH wasn't immediately charged at the scene.

Brown was finally re-arrested on Tuesday -- more than a week after the attack -- after a miscommunication between the UH police department and the district attorney's office led to him being released shortly after he was initially arrested hours after the attack.

He was reportedly spotted by a civilian on the METRORail near Shell Energy Stadium. Officials previously said Brown is believed to be homeless and, before his arrest, was spotted using the METRORail and libraries in the area.

Sexual assault suspect Eric Brown was captured more than a week after police say he raped a University of Houston student.

Students are relieved he's finally behind bars and are hoping for swift justice.

"I would only wish the most justice for someone who went through something like that and (I'm) really glad it was in a somewhat timely manner that they were able to catch him," UH student Kate Jablonski told ABC13.

Students have been pushing for more safeguards on campus after the attack and several other robberies that also happened on campus in the past few weeks.

UHPD said the DA's office filed charges several days after being alerted about a student being raped in the Student Welcome Center parking garage.

Texas State Representative Jolanda Jones is hosting what she's calling an "emergency town hall" to address UH student safety.

She says she wants to hear from students about their concerns so they can work towards real solutions.

The town hall is happening Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Emancipation Park.

Documents reveal that Brown has a lengthy history of charges, dating all the way back to 2002. His most recent charge was a misdemeanor assault on a family member in 2018, documents said.

The sexual assault is not the only recent crime on UH's main campus. Within the past few weeks, two students were robbed of their scooters, and another student was robbed of his cell phone at gunpoint.

"Right now, the criminals think UH is an easy target," a robbery victim told ABC13 as fear is rippling across the University of Houston campus amid a violent crime wave.

Last week, 28-year-old Steven Simon was arrested in connection with the scooter thefts.

So far, no one has been taken into custody for the cellphone robbery.

The university said it has committed to increased police presence and what they call "improved coordination" for holding suspects accountable.

Brown's bond amount remains at $15 million, and he has no intentions to make that bond, according to Carter.

"He has said absolutely nothing about the case except that we don't represent him, and this is a kangaroo court, and he does not want to make bond," Carter said. "Those are the three main points he's made to us since yesterday."

Brown is expected to reappear in court in May.

For more news updates, follow Courtney Carpenter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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