Man Accused Of Sexual Battery, Breaking Into Haymarket Homes, Biting A Cop: Police

HAYMARKET, VA — A man from Springfield was arrested in Haymarket on Friday after he was accused of breaking into homes, assaulting a homeowner, inappropriately touching a woman, and assaulting a police officer, according to police. The man, Savonte Malik Manson Hawthorne, is being held without bond at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center.

Officers with the Prince William County Police Department responded to the 4400 block of Dodds Mill Drive in Haymarket around 10:40 p.m. on Friday for a reported burglary.

After their investigation, authorities claimed that the suspect, who was later identified as Hawthorne, broke into a home in the area and assaulted the homeowner, a 79-year-old man. Police believed that the suspect then attempted to enter a second home and damaged shutters at the front of the house.

When a car pulled into a nearby driveway, the suspect approached the car and opened the driver's side door. Officers claimed that the suspect inappropriately touched the car's driver, a 19-year-old woman, before neighbors intervened.

Then, the suspect attempted to enter a third home by smashing a window, according to the police report.

When police arrived on the scene, neighbors told them that the suspect was still in the area. Officers claimed that the suspect confronted the responding units and assaulted one police officer. He was then taken into custody.

Rescue personnel responded to the scene, and the suspect was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and evaluation. Police claimed that the man bit an officer at the hospital, authorities wrote in their report.

Hawthorne was charged with 3 counts of burglary, 2 accounts of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer, 1 count of sexual battery, and 1 count of unlawful wounding. He is being held without bond until his court date on March 8.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center can provide information about reporting and coping with sexual abuse. Their website also features training materials and tips to prevent sexual abuse. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network operates a 24/7 hotline for victims of sexual assault. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.