Police official says two attacks in one week rare at Ball State

University Police Assistant Chief Robert Fey can't remember the last time a week like this happened on Ball State University campus.

A female Ball State University student was accosted from behind at about 12:45 a.m. Thursday morning around Woodworth and DeHority Halls, the second time a student has been confronted by an assailant this week.

On Oct. 12, two students were confronted by a man with a gun in the overflow lot on the west side of Tillotson Avenue near Scheumann Stadium. One student's purse was stolen in the encounter. University Police sent out a public safety notice in a mass e-mail to all students after each incident.

As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Fey said there is no new information on either attack and that they were not related or part of a "rise in crime" around campus. He said these kind of attacks have been rare at Ball State.

"I cannot remember any incident similar to [Monday's] ever happening and [an incident similar to Thursday's] has happened twice over the last two years," he said.

Thursday's suspect is described as a 5'-4'' black male will a muscular build. He was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and black sweat pants.

The attacked student told police the man put one arm around her body and the other across her mouth, but he was soon ran off by a male student coming to her aid.

The victim was not injured and nothing was stolen.

Monday's suspect was described as an 18 to 20 year old white male, approximately 6-feet tall with a bony face, black goatee and dark eyebrows. He was wearing a black and white hoodie, black stocking cap, baggy jeans and was armed with a black handgun according to Monday's e-mail about the incident.

Fey said students walking alone in the morning or evening should seek safety in numbers and survey parking lots before exiting their vehicles. Also, he said not to carry large amounts of cash and don't be afraid to use services such as the escort van in the evening. Any suspicious persons should be reported to University Police.

"The gut feeling that something isn't right is generally quite accurate, so let us know about suspicious situations," Fey said.

Anybody with any information on either incident should contact University Police Assistant Chief Robert Fey at 285-1210.


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