Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University police officers are seeking a suspect in the second report of a sexual assault in less than two weeks.
Investigators said an 18-year-old female reported early Friday morning that she had been raped by a white male in a parking lot of Northeast Village, where she had driven to drop him off at what he said was his residence hall. The victim told officers the two had met earlier at a campus social event, though she could not identify him by name.
"We are aggressively seeking more details to identify the assailant," said MSU Police Chief Georgia Lindley. "Our officers have been on this case since the early hours of Friday morning."
Officers also continue to investigate an Aug. 12 sexual assault reported by a 19-year-old female jogging on the western edge of campus. The first victim reported being raped by an unidentified black male wearing a gray tank top, black shorts and tan gardening gloves.
"We have explored every lead to this point and have not identified a viable suspect in the Aug. 12 incident," Lindley said.
MSU President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong said Friday that university police officers have been an increasingly visible presence on campus, stepping up patrols on foot, in golf carts and in squad cars.
Along with earlier announced safety tips, university officials are urging that students use good "judgment and caution" during any interaction with persons previously unknown to them.
"We have more police officers out at night and we continue to have an escort service available to our students through the student Bully Patrol," Foglesong said. "Students also may call the MSU Police at 325-2121 to request a police escort."
Foglesong emphasized that safety of students always is a top concern for the university.
"We are extremely disturbed that one of our own was assaulted in such a violent way," he said. "While we've increased our police patrols and other safety measures, we need everyone's help in making sure our Bulldog family is safe."
Friday morning, the university sent out an e-mail timely warning to all students to alert them of the incident.
Once again, Lindley urged students to take personal safety measures, including:
--Never traveling alone on foot after dark;
--Traveling only in well-lit areas with a group;
--Locking doors and windows of vehicles and residences;
--Being conscious of surroundings at all times;
--Reporting suspicious activities or people to the MSU Police Department or calling 911 in case of an emergency; and
--Requesting a campus escort by police officers.
"We urge anyone with information about this incident to contact the MSU Police at 662-325-2121," Lindley said.