Harrison Thorp 2:20 p.m.
Friday, June 23, 2017 2:17 pm
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ROCHESTER - Rochester Police said today they have a person of interest in the Planet Fitness parking lot assault earlier this month.
Stopping short of saying he was a suspect, Rochester Police Capt. Jason Thomas said around 2 p.m. that the individual had been interviewed, then sought legal counsel.
"We are hoping to have an arrest in the case early next week," Thomas said. "I really can't say anything more than that."
Thomas said police are still waiting on obtaining a search warrant, however, he wouldn't confirm that it was for a vehicle or not. He also declined to release the man's hometown.
Eighteen-year-old Erin McCarthy of Rochester has posted numerous statements on Facebook regarding the beating she suffered on June 12 as she left the North Main Street Planet Fitness around 10 p.m. after her shift was over.
Rochester Police first received a surveillance video of the beating on June 19, a day before they issued a formal press release on the assault and the investigation into it.
Facebook posts by McCarthy, a PF service rep, suggest the suspect waited for her in the parking lot for about eight hours, however Thomas on Thursday said he couldn't comment on that aspect as it is currently under investigation.
Thomas said today that Rochester Police have received hundreds of private messages, many of them focused on and frustrated with details of the investigation like the water bottle the individual pictured in the video dropped just prior to the assault.
"Many people have messaged us saying they hope we lifted DNA and fingerprints off the bottle, but I hope they realize we can't comment on an ongoing investigation," Thomas said.
During the June 12 attack a partial video released by police shows McCarthy being attacked from behind with a punch to the back of the head as the assault begins. Police released only a few seconds of the attack citing privacy issues.
A police press release indicates she was punched multiple times and thrown to the ground after which the male suspect got in his car and drove away.