Police search for suspect who raped student in Cal State Fullerton parking-structure elevator

Police are searching for a man they say raped a student in a Cal State Fullerton parking-structure elevator early Tuesday morning, Sept. 10.

It was about midnight when the sexual assault happened in the Nutwood parking structure, according to the CSUF Police Department.

At about 1 a.m., campus police received a call from St. Joseph Hospital saying that a female student reported being raped, CSUF Police Department Capt. Scot Willey said.

“She reported that she had walked to the structure at about midnight and a male came up behind her inside the elevator,” the captain said. “She ended up on the ground where he raped her,” Willey said.

“When the doors opened, she pushed him off and was able to get out of the elevator.”

The woman, a junior, said the suspect had no weapons and didn’t say anything to her.

Campus police described the suspect as a Caucasian man, about 25, with shoulder-length brown hair. He is about 5-feet 10-inches tall and weighs around 160 pounds. He was wearing a navy T-shirt and black shorts.

The student also reported that the suspect had a small mole near his right eye and appeared to have blue or green eyes. Campus police said they are working on getting a composite sketch of the suspect made to release.

Willey said officers are going to go through surveillance footage and will double up on patrols during the night and early hours.

This incident comes on the heels of a man getting stabbed to death in a campus parking lot a week before classes began: A retired administrator who continued to worked at Cal State Fullerton was killed, police said, by a co-worker in what they say was a targeted attack. The suspect fled the scene, but an arrest was made two days later at a Huntington Beach home with the co-worker later charged with murder.

“It’s been a pretty tragic start to our semester,” Willey said.

Campus police warned anyone who sees the rape suspect to not approach him and instead call 911.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.