Man, 19, charged with assaulting student

A student was hospitalized early Wednesday morning after being assaulted by a male unaffiliated with the university, Prince George's County Police said.

Police responded to a call about a fight outside of 4313 Knox Road at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 7, District 1 Assistant Commander Capt. Daniel Lipsey said. The police officer who responded to the call reported that he saw the victim — a male student — lying on the ground, apparently lapsing in and out of consciousness.

Nelson Alfredo Carbajal, 19, of Rockville, was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree assault.

Lipsey said the student victim was transported to Washington Adventist Hospital and treated for injuries his face and head area.

The student is now out of the hospital and recovering at home.

The relationship between the suspect and the victim, as well as the cause of the fight, is unknown, police said. But Lipsey noted alcohol was "definitely involved."

"I think it's safe to say both parties had been drinking," Lipsey said, adding Carbajal was very intoxicated.

After hearing of the assault, some students said they were surprised that a student would be hurt badly enough in hand-to-hand combat to require hospitalization.

"That's really shocking," sophomore kinesiology major Brooke Supinski said. "I feel like people do get in fights all the time, but they don't usually result in serious injuries. I didn't know violence was that big of a problem."

But Supinski added she still feels safe on and around the campus because she has confidence in University Police precautions to ensure student safety. She added she thinks Prince George's County just has a bad reputation.

Senior English major Nathalie Pena said the fight does not surprise her — she is aware of the crime in the area. But Pena said for the most part, she feels safe at the university as well.

Police said assaults do not always lead to hospitalizations, noting the type and severity of injuries typically dictate whether or not someone needs to be treated — not the type of crime.

Carbajal's trial is scheduled for Dec. 4, according to Prince George's County District Court records.

estelle@umdbk.com