Oakland University police investigate 2 assaults

ROCHESTER HILLS — The Oakland University Police Department is investigating a domestic violence/aggravated assault incident reported to have occurred at 10:26 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 3.

The victim was assaulted by the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, as she walked toward the entrance of Hamlin Hall.

The suspect has been identified, but fled campus. He is described as an 18-year-old male, standing 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 240 pounds with black, medium-length dreadlocks in his hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored zip-up hoodie and gray sweatpants. He had a black T-shirt with possibly gold or yellow writing on it under the hoodie.

The suspect was seen driving a tan-colored SUV – possibly a Ford Edge – and was last seen heading off campus from East Oakland Drive.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the OUPD at (248) 370-3331.

In a separate incident, OUPD identified a suspect in the case of a sexual assault reported to have taken place in the P-5 parking lot on the night of Sept. 5 or early morning on Sept. 6.

The incident remains under investigation.

“The OUPD would like to express its gratitude to all community members who have provided information related to the case,” officials said in a statement.

The sexual assault is reported to have taken place between 11:24 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, and 12:27 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, in the P-5 parking lot, located immediately west of Oak View Hall, on the north side of main campus.

The individual reporting the incident met the suspect after initially connecting on the Tinder mobile app. The incident took place during their first meeting in person.

The suspect is described as a 21-year-old male standing 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair. The suspect was driving a black 2019 Chevrolet Camaro.

Brian Bierley, the director of community relations at OU, said the campus is annually ranked as one of the safest campuses in America, so the  recent criminal activity is a bit out of the ordinary.

In 2021, Oakland University was ranked as the third-safest college campus in the nation, according to a study by CollegeMagazine.com. The rankings are based on several factors, such as on-campus violent crimes reported, on-campus housing availability, campus safety resources and total disciplinary incidents.

If someone feels their safety is at risk or that they need assistance or an escort on campus, they can contact the Oakland University Police Department at (248) 370-3331.