An investigation into a woman’s fall took an unexpected turn when one of the witnesses turned out to be a sex offender from out of state, said Bloomington Police Department Capt. Ryan Pedigo.
Roman Marshall was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in 2010. Marshall, who is now 37, was 28 at the time. The victim was 5.
Because Marshall had been in Indiana for over 72 hours and said he was not planning to register as a sex offender, he was arrested for failing to register.
Police first became aware of Marshall when a woman fell off a structure at Fourth Street and College Avenue at around 3 a.m. Sunday. Three other women at the scene called 911 after she fell and also spotted Marshall, who disappeared when the police arrived.
None of the witnesses were associated with the injured woman, who is at IU Health Methodist Hospitalin Indianapolis and is currently unable to answer police inquiries.
One of the three women identified Marshall as the man she saw at the scene Tuesday at the Kroger on First Street and College Avenue. After she contacted the police, Marshall fled the scene and was found laying in the grass in nearby Seminary Park.
When taken in for questioning, Marshal initially used a fake name, but upon further questioning he admitted to being a registered sexual offender from Rock Island County, Illinois.
As of now, there are no known connections between Marshall and the woman who was injured.
Marshall told police he had been in Bloomington for a week, having hitched a ride on a semi-truck. He left his I.D. back in Illinois so he didn’t have to register as a sex offender in Indiana. He said he came here to “start a new life.”
Because of the age of the victim, he would remain classified as a sexual offender for life if he registered in Indiana, according to the Indiana Code.
