Assault near campus, suspect on the loose

A woman was attacked less than a mile away from where a different woman was assaulted two weeks ago. A press release from the Corvallis Police Department noted the similarity between the recent attack and the assault that occurred Jan. 15, adding that the police are investigating the possibility that the attacker is the same man.   
Police responded to an attack in the neighborhood of 30th Street and Fillmore Avenue Saturday night around 7:30 p.m.

The woman was attacked and pushed to the ground by a male attacker who fled after a struggle, according to the release. Police searched the area but were unable to locate the man.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6’0” to 6’3” tall with an athletic and muscular build. The man wore a black ski mask with one opening for both eyes, black athletic pants, white shoes and a dark navy blue or black hoodie.

“The sweatshirt had a white circle printed upon the back with cursive style writing that extended from the lower left side of the circle, across the center, to the upper right,” the press release noted.

Jeremiah Moore, a senior in forest management at Oregon State University, lives near where the Saturday attack occurred. Moore was frequently outside in his yard, collecting samples from his backyard for a soil lab every 20 minutes, but he said he didn’t see or hear anything suspicious.

“I regretted not hearing anything or being able to help in any way,” Moore said.

Moore said he saw police cars parked along his block from 7:45 p.m. to midnight, following the Saturday attack.  
“There were six cop cars and every single one of them had their lights flashing,” Moore said. “That raises some concern absolutely, but I think it’s the level of not knowing that affects you the most.”

Moore, who is married, said the attack was “pretty shocking,” and he will begin escorting his wife Jamie, a senior in human development and family sciences, to her car in the mornings.

“I’ll gladly wake up early with her and walk her to the car,” Moore said.

The first assault occurred late Tuesday, Jan. 15 night around 30th Street and Campus Way. A woman was walking when a man attacked her and tried to remove her clothing, but fled after the woman hit him in the face, according to the Oregon State Police warning that went out the next day.

Camila Matamala-Ost, a senior in environmental science and a Philomath resident, heard about the assault through the timely warning alert sent out Saturday night.

She said she drives alone to and from campus, but tries to leave early or walk with friends at night.

“I don’t want to risk having to walk to my car if it’s unsafe,” Matamala-Ost said. “It’s just kind of freaky I guess. It’s sad that these two assaults have happened so close to each other and that they’ve both been on women. It makes me disappointed.”

Anna Karleskind, a senior in business marketing, also received the alert through her university email account.  
“One of our friends actually got a really cute pink LED Taser,” Karleskind said.

She said she has other friends who carry Mace.

Alyssa Freeland, a senior in biology, said she walks in groups at night and has offered to chauffer her friends home after dark.

Following the Jan. 15 attack, Senior Trooper Chris Graves gave some advice to students during an interview with KBVR’s Orange Report.

“Don’t have ear buds in the ears and music cranked up, and maybe not necessarily talking on your phone as you walk so you can hear your surroundings, so that if someone comes up behind you, you can react before they’re right on top of you,” Graves said.

Graves recommended students identify the locations of the blue light phone system on campus streets and walk on well-traveled roads. He said students should walk in groups whenever possible.

“Never subtract from your group,” Graves said. “Add to the group, but never subtract because the one person that you subtract is that potential victim for some type of crime.”

SafeRide, a free resource available to students, faculty and staff, provides transport to and from campus. School I.D. is required.

Phone: (541) 737-5000.  
Winter hours: 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

For more on the attack, listen in to Orange Report and Beaver News.

McKinley Smith, news reporter
news@dailybarometer.com