An 18-year-old Northern Virginia Community College female student was sexually assaulted on the Loudoun campus, between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The student said she met the suspect in the student lounge area of the college and later, walked outside with him. As they walked toward the gazebo, the suspect forced her to perform nonconsensual sexual advances, said Loudoun County Sheriff’s spokesperson Kraig Troxell.
THE SUSPECT is a young black or Hispanic male, tall and thin, with dark eyes and short, dark, curly hair. He was last seen wearing a red jersey with elbow-length sleeves and blue or black baggy pants.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department has talked to several witnesses. "We talked to several people who were in the building around that time, but we do not know if he is a student or not," Troxell said.
THERE IS A regular police force, a police escort service for students and staff members, and emergency call boxes on the Loudoun campus, said Sue Davis, coordinator of public information for Northern Virginia Community College. "We have also made improvements to the lighting over the years," she said.
Students at the Loudoun campus said police are always present and they felt safe walking from classes to cars at night. "I see cops all the time, so I feel pretty safe. Plus there’s a police escort service," said Carlo Marcantonio, a first-year student at Northern Virginia Community College, from Herndon. Other students feel safe because there are always people around. Students agree, police are always present on campus. "I never feel unsafe because there are always people around," said Maya Ghadi, 18, of Ashburn. "There are always cops around, too."
There were no previous problems on the campus, according to the Sheriff's Office.