Student allegedly raped by intruder in California university housing

A Cal Poly Pomona student allegedly was raped by a male intruder who broke into her off-campus apartment and was still inside when police responded to the victim’s plea for help, university officials said Tuesday, June 6.

The attack, which occurred around 7 p.m. Sunday at University Village, allegedly was committed by a man unaffiliated with Cal Poly Pomona and unknown to residents at the apartment complex, college spokesperson Cynthia Peters said in a statement.

Following the attack, the victim called for help and responding Cal Poly Pomona police officers arrested the suspect inside the apartment, Peters said.

Campus Police Chief Linh Dinh declined to release the suspect’s identity and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.

Dinh also declined to explain how the suspect entered the victim’s apartment, which is a short walk from campus.

Cal Poly Pomona police arrest logs indicate an individual was arrested Sunday night at University Village on suspicion of rape by force, assault with intent to rape in the commission of a burglary, sexual battery by restraint, oral copulation by force, false imprisonment and burglary. The suspect’s name is not listed in the logs.

A timely warning was not sent to the Cal Poly Pomona community Sunday evening because there was no ongoing threat to campus, Peters said.

Cal Poly Pomona officials sent an email at 8:38 p.m. Monday to University Village residents, describing the attack as an isolated “act of violence,” and adding that police patrols would be increased at the apartment complex.

Following an inquiry from the Southern California News Group about the attack, Cal Poly Pomona announced it would send a university-wide message Tuesday afternoon.

Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley has previously apologized for failing to notify the campus community of an unfounded report of gunfire at a campus building.

“I regret and apologize that we fell short in communicating the circumstances to you in a prompt and clear manner, which made an alarming experience worse for many,” she said in an April 28 message posted on the Cal Poly Pomona website. “While we did send ‘all clear’ messages by social media and email, we were not timely or thorough enough in our communication during and after the event.”

In April, former Cal Poly Pomona police Sgt. Marcus Simpson filed a retaliation lawsuit in federal court alleging Coley routinely interfered with high-profile criminal investigations at the university to protect its reputation, including a 2017 incident in which she prohibited campus police from searching a professor’s home as part of an embezzlement probe.

Coley has denied Simpson’s allegations.