University of Houston approves funds to expedite $18M campus lighting and security project

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

UH approves funds to expedite $18M campus lighting and safety project

Once completed, the initiative will add more than 400 new lights, 195 surveillance cameras, and 42 emergency call stations and security kiosks on campus.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The University of Houston announced that its board of regents approved funds to fast-track $18 million in lighting and security upgrades on campus.

Phase two of the $18 million Campus Lighting and Security Enhancement Project, which includes improvements at student housing lots, was expedited after multiple violent crimes on campus and student protests.

The improvements are now expected to be finished by November of this year.

Once completed, the initiative will add more than 400 new lights, 195 surveillance cameras, and 42 emergency call stations and security kiosks on campus.

The security upgrades come as the campus deals with a string of crimes -- most notably, a young woman who was sexually assaulted at knifepoint in the Welcome Center Student Parking Garage on Feb. 7.

According to charging documents, the victim was cleaning her vehicle as she was preparing for a sorority event when 40-year-old Eric 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.

Last week in a town hall, students said they didn't think the campus safety task force, which was proposed by the school, was enough.

Brown was re-arrested last week and is being held on $15 million total bond. He was originally arrested shortly after the attack but was released from custody due to a miscommunication between the UH police department and the district attorney's office.

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.

He's charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated sexual assault.

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

During a court appearance last week, he refused to agree to the conditions of his $15 million bail.

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

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.

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."

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.

"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.

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.

Steven Simon, 28, was arrested in connection with the scooter thefts.

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

RELATED: