August 26, 2007

Police arrest freshman in connection with 3 assaults

Two women were assaulted in Hillenbrand Residence Hall around 2:30 a.m., and a third woman was attacked between 3-3:30 a.m. near Ford Dining Court. One victim sought medical attention.

The first call came from a female student who said she had been pushed into an elevator on the first floor of Hillenbrand's west side, and then was fondled by a thin, black male. She said he had been accompanied by two men, and one of them held the elevator door open during the incident.

The campus emergency notification plan was activated, and a news release including a description of the subject was e-mailed campuswide. The information, along with a composite drawing, also was placed on the Purdue and University Residences home pages, in Hillenbrand Hall and on Facebook. A sorority phone tree was activated, and area news media also were alerted.

Police received numerous calls from people with potential information about the attacker, said university spokesperson Jeanne Norberg. Among those who contacted police were two other women who reported attacks and two roommates who said they had been with Odongo during all the incidents.

The roommates told police that they had met Odongo Saturday (Aug. 25) night or early Sunday morning at a party and knew him only by his first name, George. They said they thought he lived in Meredith Hall. Police then knocked on doors at Meredith until they came to Odongo's room at 4 p.m. By 5 p.m., he had confessed, according to police.

One of the other women then picked Odongo from a lineup. In the second incident at Hillenbrand, the woman said Odongo and another male knocked on her door and said they were looking for her roommate. Odongo then fondled her, but she managed to shut and lock the door.

Police were still obtaining information from the third woman late Sunday evening.

The woman attacked on the elevator described her assailant as about 160 pounds and 5 feet 8 inches tall. He spoke with a thick accent, had acne scars on his face, yellow teeth and tight, short dreadlocks. He was wearing a blue soccer jersey with the word "SIEMENS," khaki shorts and khaki rock-climbing sandals. The victim said he smelled of alcohol.

Police report that the other two men said that after they had met Odongo at the party, they were going to get something to eat and then look for another party. When they saw the woman by the elevator, Odongo initially tried to get her to accompany them. When she refused, Odongo accosted her.

Odongo was taken to the Tippecanoe County Jail. According to Purdue police, preliminary charges were expected to include sexual battery and criminal confinement.

Writer: Jeanne Norberg: (765) 491-1460; jnorberg@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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