Clarification:

Michael J. Blum, a Tulane professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology, was not the man arrested by TUPD. The man arrested was a not a Tulane affiliate. 

Original Article:

A suspicious man was caught stalking female students around the Newcomb Quad, where he later admitted to masturbating. 

Tulane University Police Department caught the man after a brief foot chase from the 1200 block of Broadway Street to the 7300 block of Oak Street, where the man was detained. 

The confession was taped on the TUPD officer’s body camera and the man was arrested by TUPD and transported to New Orleans Central Lockup.

The man was later identified as 47-year-old Michael Blum. Blum was previously arrested in 2003 in relation to a peeping Tom incident, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff Department’s Docket Master. Blum has been issued a court appearance with bond set at $12,000. 

TUPD began receiving reports of a suspicious man wandering campus at approximately 11:36 a.m. Friday morning.

There were four reports of a suspicious person between then and when Blum was caught by TUPD at approximately 2:19 p.m Saturday. It has yet to be determined if all the reports were connected to Michael Blum’s case. 

No crime alert was issued to the Tulane community about the suspicious person.