Mary Johns, a student at the University of Florida, saw something and said something.
Johns, a philosophy major from St. Johns, Florida, south of Jacksonville, noticed a suspicious pickup circling her neighborhood near sorority houses on campus after 3 a.m. She described the truck as “creaky” and the driver’s behavior as highly suspicious.
Johns used the GatorSafe smart phone app to submit a report to campus police officers, who used a sophisticated network of surveillance cameras to identify the pickup’s owner and connect him to an ongoing investigation into a series of sexual assaults, gropings or stalking involving at least five women near campus.
The man identified in those criminal cases, Riley J. Washington, remains in the Alachua County Jail since his arrest Sept. 12. He is facing charges of felony sexual assault and attempted sexual battery, one felony burglary charge, and misdemeanor charges of sexual voyeurism, battery and loitering. His next court date is March 2.
University police recognized Johns as a hero, presenting her last month with a certificate for helping crack the case. The award was intended to encourage more students to feel comfortable reporting suspicious activity they see.
In a new interview, Johns said she first felt uneasy when the pickup circled back toward her and her friend shortly after 3 a.m.
“At first we were joking about it. But then it looped around and came back toward us,” she said. “He rolled down the window and was sitting alone in the truck. There was no music, nothing. He was just staring at us. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right.”
10, 2026. The historic brick building remains a central hub for academic and campus activities. (Jiarong Li/WUFT News)
She still wasn’t clear whether a crime had occurred, she said. She had seen online posts at the time about a suspicious man following a student home.
“It didn’t feel right,” she said. “I thought maybe I was just freaking myself out, but deep down I knew something was wrong.”
She said the GatorSafe app made it convenient to express her concerns, and police responded quickly. Officers were already in the area.
Police said this kind of information is critical for public safety.
2026. The landmark carillon tower is one of the university’s most recognizable symbols. (Jiarong Li/WUFT News)
“One observation by itself may not seem significant,” D. Trever Henderson, a UF police spokesman, said in a written statement. “But when combined with other reports and information, it can help us connect the dots and intervene before someone is harmed.”
Henderson said warning signs are often overlooked because people fear being wrong.
“That’s our job,” Henderson said. “Community members are not expected to determine whether something is criminal. We would always rather receive a report and determine it’s nothing than miss an opportunity to prevent harm. Trust your instincts.”
Johns expressed a similar view.
“It’s better to say something and be wrong than not say something and have something else happen,” she said.
In one case, a UF student said Washington walked behind her as she was waiting to be let inside a friend’s postgame football party early on Aug. 31 and grabbed her beneath her skirt before fleeing. Police said they traced Washington’s phone to the area, and his pickup was spotted in the area around that time.
Days later, Washington lifted another student’s skirt while she was walking alone after midnight in the midtown district of bars and restaurants near campus, police said.
In September, police said Washington admitted to grabbing female college students on at least four occasions.
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This is a breaking news story. Check back in case there are further developments. Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.