An Otterbein student living in an off-campus house on West Home Street reported being sexually assaulted at approximately 4:10 a.m. today.
Otterbein police issued an email crime alert to the community shortly before 8 a.m. to inform students of the report because of its proximity to campus housing. The alert contained no information except the time of the report, that no weapons were reported to be involved and that the suspect was described as an African-American male.
However, according to the case report summary from the Westerville Division of Police, which is handling the investigation, the student could not identify or describe the alleged attacker other than that he was college-aged and probably light-skinned.
In his narrative, Officer Mason of the Westerville Division of Police said that the student told him that the student was awakened from sleep on the couch by the suspect.
The student said the suspect then “quickly turned and exited toward the rear of the residence.”
The student reported sleeping on the couch with some blankets after returning to the house with a housemate from a party down the street.
In an interview with Otterbein360, the student said everyone in the house was asleep at the time of the assault.
The student also said all of the doors in the house were locked, and the student is unaware of how the suspect was able to enter the house, as no windows were broken. The student said that a spare key might have been used.
“It was such a strange incident that there wasn’t a whole lot that I could have done differently,” the student said.
“I know that I am not the only one whom this has happened to,” the student said. “Don’t feel like it’s your fault. Make sure that you tell someone.”
No suspect has been located at this time. Otterbein Police Chief Larry Banaszak issued an email update to students at 5:43 p.m. saying that “specific information concerning the victim and exact location of the crime will not be disclosed” by the OPD.
The Tan & Cardinal and Otterbein360.com will also not disclose any of this identifying information out of courtesy to the student.
This story has been updated from the original version.
