This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The parents of an Loyola Marymount University student who said she was raped at an off-campus Halloween party are convinced that someone knows who her top hat-wearing attacker was. LMU is now offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest. LMU is offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a man who allegedly raped an LMU student at an off-campus Halloween party, KTLA reports. LMU Vice President of Communications and Government Relations Kathleen Flanagan said that isn't something the university would typically do, but after months of no leads, they're hoping a reward "might encourage someone to come forward."
The assault happened just past midnight on November 1, 2014 at a party in the 8700 block of Yorktown Ave. in Westchester. The victim is a student at LMU who was attending an off-campus Halloween party sponsored by the unsanctioned fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) with friends. According to a letter written by the victim's parents, her group intended to only make a brief stop at the party. Their daughter became separated from her friends when she went looking for a restroom and ended up in a garage. She was followed into the garage by a man, and two men and two women who were already in the garage "quickly dispersed" and her alone with him. He then physically forced her to stay in the garage and raped her. Immediately after the assault, the man fled, and the victim went to her friends for help. A friend of the victim's took her to the ER, who then transferred her to the Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center. The victim's parents have stated that no one at the party seemed particularly interested in helping or moved to contact police immediately following the attack.
The victim's parents also said that certain comments left on news articles via Facebook indicate that some people may know who their daughter's attacker is, but so far, no arrests have been made and no one has come forward with any information. SAE has claimed they have no idea who the guy was and he isn't among their ranks, though the parents have noted that the party was invite-only and there were fewer than 50 attendees. The alleged attacker was also unusually dressed. It was Halloween, and he was in a costume that included a white top hat.
In December, LMU sent out an alert warning students not to go to any events "affiliated with, organized or hosted" by SAE, saying that officials had been made aware of other alleged incidents of sexual assault at SAE events, the Daily Breeze reports. All of these incidents happened prior to the November 1 assault, and some dated back to over a year. SAE was disbanded at LMU in January, according to The Loyolan.
SAE's problems may not just be limited to LMU. In the Kirby Dick document The Hunting Ground, which talks about campus rape, students are heard saying that SAE stands for "sexual assault expected."
The suspect is described as white, in his early 20s, 6 feet tall and 170 pounds with brown, shoulder-length hair. He was wearing a white shirt, dark pants and a white top hat that night. Investigators are not sure if he is a student at LMU. Anyone with information should called the LAPD, Operations West Bureau, Sex Crimes Unit at (213) 473-0447 or the LMU Department of Public Safety at (310) 338-2893.
