Police asking for help indentifying alleged assailant

Police+distributed+this+still+image+captured+from+surveillance+video+recorded+inside+College+Towers.+Photo+courtesy+of+Kent+City+Police.

Police distributed this still image captured from surveillance video recorded inside College Towers. Photo courtesy of Kent City Police.

Leighann McGivern

Kent City Police are still investigating an alleged burglary and sexual imposition that took place Monday at College Towers.

According to one of the victims, the suspect knocked on her front door Monday night and asked her the location of the laundry room. She said he didn’t appear to have a laundry basket with him at the time, but she told him it was on the second floor.

“He looked like he was looking behind me, like what was going on in my apartment, not really looking at me,” she said. “And then he’s like, ‘OK, so the second floor?’”

The victim said the man proceeded to grab her inappropriately before leaving.

The suspect allegedly knocked again about 10 seconds later.

“I know I shouldn’t have answered the door,” the victim said. “I really don’t know why I did. I answered it the second time, and I only opened it a little bit, I’d say probably like 3 inches.”

She said the man again asked her the location of the laundry room while trying to peek his head through the crack in her door. She said he asked her if she was alone, and she told him her roommate was home.

She said she tried to lean against the door to keep him out, but he pushed through. When he managed to open the door completely, the victim’s roommate entered the scene.

“He grabbed me again, and then my roommate’s like, ‘You have to leave,’” she said. “He starts backing out of my apartment, and he’s like, ‘Am I scaring you guys?’ Then I shut the door and locked it.”

The roommates called police after speaking with their parents on the phone.

Police distributed a College Towers surveillance image of a suspect and have asked the public to assist in identifying the alleged assailant.

Anyone with information can contact Kent City Police at 330-673-7732.

Contact Leighann McGivern at [email protected].