A woman was allegedly assaulted in the lobby of her apartment building and left with minor injuries early Tuesday morning, university police said.
The woman was returning to her apartment building at 685 Kelton Ave. around 2:25 a.m. when she was confronted by a man in the lobby, according to the police.
The man allegedly grabbed her in a choke hold, and when she screamed, he allegedly hit her head against a wall before fleeing.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall with a pot belly, according to a UCPD crime alert.
The victim’s roommate said the suspect followed the woman into the building, adding that her roommate knew the man did not live in the building since there are only about 36 residents.
The source said her roommate told her the man had followed her to the elevator, where he allegedly assaulted her.
“He grabbed her by the neck and started strangling her,” she said. “She screamed for help and he started banging her head against the wall.”
The student said her roommate had to go to the emergency room to be treated for head and neck injuries, and moved out of her apartment later in the day.
“It’s terrifying,” she said, adding that she and some of her other roommates are looking into breaking their lease and moving out immediately.
Laurel Reimer, a third-year geography and environmental studies student who lives in the building, said she was talking to a friend in an apartment next to the elevator when the incident occurred.
“We heard an almost blood-curdling scream,” Reimer said, adding that she then heard someone running up the stairs.
Reimer said the police showed up soon afterward, followed by paramedics and the fire department, but she did not hear any more information about the incident until she returned from class on Tuesday and saw notices posted about it.
She added that this is not the first time her building has had issues with intruders ““ earlier this year, two men illegally occupied the attic.
“It’s frightening that twice in a year we’ve had the police come to our apartment because of people who have broken in,” Reimer said.
Sgt. Mark Littlestone said police are currently investigating the incident.
A crime alert issued by police urged students and residents to avoid walking alone at night and to report any suspicious activity or behavior to police.