Students report cases of lewdness, harassment

This was the second safety alert sent out over the weekend. The first, sent Saturday, notified the campus community of two reports of “lewdness” at around 2:00 and 2:39 a.m. on Saturday. Two female students, each of whom was alone at the time, reported encountering a man who was masturbating and who exposed his genitals to them.

Public Safety is currently conducting an “active investigation” into these three separate incidents and will increase its evening patrols, Public Safety associate director Donald Reichling said in an interview Sunday afternoon.

The criminal sexual contact occurred on Alexander Beach between Alexander and Witherspoon halls. The suspect approached the female student and attempted to speak with her. He then grabbed her and restrained her to prevent her from getting away. A passing female student intervened, and the suspect released the victim.

“It was fortunate that another student was in the area and was able to intervene,” University spokeswoman Cass Cliatt ’96 said. “We don’t want to know what it would have been like if the victim had been alone. It’s critical for students to be aware of their surroundings and really avoid being alone on campus in the early morning hours.”

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male of medium build between the ages of 23 and 26 and roughly five feet, 11 inches tall. He was wearing a light blue or gray button-down shirt and baggy jeans, according to the safety alert.

The students who reported the two incidents of lewdness also identified a Hispanic male suspect, though the alerts included differing descriptions of the suspects.

The lewdness alert described the suspect as “a Hispanic male, approximately 29 years of age, 6’2” in height, curly hair, wearing a blue and black fleece zip-up jacket, blue jeans and brown shoes.”

In the first report, the suspect was identified as being six feet, two inches tall, while the second described a man who was “approximately 5’11, medium build.” The first suspect was said to be around 29 years old, but the second suspect was reported to be between 23 and 26. And while the first report stated that the subject had curly hair, the second reported “dark short-cropped hair.” The second subject was also reported to have a mustache.

“Given the witness accounts, Public Safety is investigating a connection between the incidents,” Cliatt said. “Of course they can’t know [if the incidents are related] unless and until someone is apprehended. What they do know is that the descriptions have some similarities.”

The first instance of lewdnesss occurred while the student was walking toward the U-Store on McCosh Walk. The female student saw the man on the steps between Buyers and Witherspoon halls. She also reported seeing the suspect earlier in the night near the architecture school and 1879 Hall. She said the suspect was walking behind her and masturbating.

The second incident occurred near the first entry of 1879. The suspect exposed his genitals to the victim before running away toward Washington Road and Nassau Street.

The suspect in the second incident did not come into physical contact with either victim.

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Reichling declined to either provide additional information about the investigation or speculate about whether the two offenses had been perpetrated by the same suspect. He explained that since the investigation is ongoing, any information he provided might “impair the investigation.”

He also declined to comment on the fact that these two events occurred within such a short period of time.