Traveling door-to-door solicitor accused of groping, attacking Boulder woman in her home

A traveling door-to-door solicitor whom police say has a criminal record in several states was arrested Friday in an attack on a woman at her Boulder home.

Derick Robert Tappe, 26, was arrested early in the morning at an Evans hotel with other solicitors from Encore Inc. Investigators say the workers for the Kittredge, Colorado-based company travel around the country selling magazine subscriptions and seeking donations.

A woman told police that a man soliciting for a charity knocked on her door Wednesday evening, pushed his way in and began groping her. According to police, she went to get some money, thinking that would get him to leave, but he followed her and attacked her. She ultimately was able to fight him off and get him to leave.

Detectives believe Tappe also visited other homes on the woman's street that day but no one has reported any injuries. They are investigating whether he victimized anyone else in Boulder or elsewhere.

Tappe was being held at the Boulder jail on $100,000 bond.

It wasn't immediately known if he had a lawyer, and no one from Encore returned a message left at its service center.

The company's website says all of its workers must pass background checks. They compete to earn points to win cash rewards or help paying for tuition.