An investigation into an alleged sexual assault on the Los Medanos College campus has been turned over to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
Last month, a female LMC student reported to campus police that she was sexually assaulted in a hallway of the Nursing area in the College Complex building. According to a police report obtained by the LMC Experience, the victim claims the suspect, another LMC student, allegedly became aggressive, groped her and forcefully kissed her.
Investigators report that they have identified the suspect but are unable to release his name since he is under the age of 18. If charged, the suspect could be facing charges of false imprisonment, battery and sexual battery.
The DA’s Office told the LMC Experience Tuesday they are unable to comment on the status of the case because the suspect is a minor. According to the police report, the suspect will turn 18 in November.
The victim described the alleged attack, which took place Sept. 12, to the police after her father reported the incident to authorities.
She allegedly met the suspect earlier that day and claims he approached her in a friendly manner on the bottom floor of the College Complex building. The victim reported the suspect called out “hey” from another floor above before taking an elevator down to her level and then said to her, “You’re cute, I saw you earlier.”
The two reportedly conversed for about an hour and exchanged Instagram’s before the suspect eventually walked the victim to her next class.
Later that night while the victim was in class, she told police the suspect messaged her on Instagram wanting to hang out. The two agreed to meet on the third floor of the College Complex Building during a break she took from class, eventually catching up with each other at around 8 p.m. near the Nursing area before walking into the nearby hallway.
At some point during this time, the male suspect allegedly tried to kiss the victim according to the police report. The victim alleges the suspect then grabbed the victim’s neck and pushed her against a wall when she backed away from him.
The victim said the suspect eventually let her go but, as she attempted to walk away, he tried to stop her once more by wrapping his arm around her. He then reportedly began to put his hand down her pants.
“Stop, you’re making me uncomfortable,” the victim reported that she told the suspect, continuing, “This has happened to me before, I’ve been sexually assaulted, stop.”
The victim said she was eventually able to push the suspect away, exiting the Nursing area hallway as fast as she could. She then took an elevator down to the floor where her ongoing class was located. However, she did not want to stay for the remainder of her class and had a friend accompany her out to her vehicle in the parking lot.
However, the suspect denies to campus police that these events transpired.
The suspect claims when they met in the Nursing area hallway, no kissing occurred and there was minimal contact, only hugging twice before parting ways. He denied putting his hand down the victim’s pants, recalling that they both walked out of the area laughing and hugging.
The suspect was brought in for questioning but never arrested according to campus police. However, he was issued a citation by Officer Fernando Inieguez and was told he could not return to the LMC campus until meeting with Dean of Students Success Dave Bellman.
Bellman did not immediately respond to a request for comment as of time of publication.
Campus police identified the suspect as a former Antioch High School student, according to the police report. The Antioch Police Department also indicated that the department “had two similar cases that involved the suspect at Antioch High School,” though it’s unclear how the suspect was involved in those cases or if charges were ever filed.
It’s unclear if the suspect was ever charged in the two other cases. However, he could be facing three counts, including false imprisonment, battery on any person on school property and sexual battery if the DA decides to indict.
In California, sexual battery is defined as a type of sexual assault where the suspect touches the “intimate parts” of another person without their consent.
Committing the crime of battery on any person on school property is charged as a misdemeanor offense, while false imprisonment and sexual battery can be charged as either a misdemeanor or felony.
