Hunter
05/13/22
A University of Iowa student who was charged with robbery and burglary after allegedly choking a woman to unconsciousness and stealing an expensive pair of earrings now is being charged with attempted murder.
The Daily Iowan also reports that 18-year-old Ali Younes had a history of multiple harassment and assault complaints before the April incident. UI Police documents show the student was accused of stalking, sexual assault and sexual harassment on four separate occasions.
One student claimed that he pressured her into having non-consensual sex with him after he repeatedly asked her to come to his Slater Hall dorm room while she was doing laundry. Younes, a first-year student, was first reported to UI police on October 4th by a different female student who said he sexually harassed her.
The DI reports that Younes’ first roommate, Al Zukowski, reported him to University Housing for assaulting him because he didn’t want to move their fridge to the other side of the room at the time because he was going out with friends. Zukowski told the DI that quite a few of his friends called campus security on him, adding that his whole floor “was pretty scared of him” and “knew that he was dangerous.” Younes reportedly moved to Burge Hall in October.
The incident that landed Younes in jail occurred April 25th. University of Iowa Police received a call about an unconscious female outside Art Building West that night. Younes and the victim were seen on video walking opposite directions from each other on the IMU footbridge. The video allegedly showed Younes turning around and following the woman. Younes is accused of grabbing the woman from behind and tackling her to the ground. He then is seen turning her over and using both hands to strangle her to unconsciousness. While in that state, Younes allegedly removed the woman’s earrings, which are valued at $20,000.
Witnesses interrupted Younes, who claimed that the victim was walking and then passed out. He fled and was arrested at his girlfriend’s house the next day in possession of the stolen earrings.
With the attempted murder charge, Younes faces up to sixty years in prison if convicted on all counts. He remains in the Johnson County Jail on a $350,000 bond.