A 19-year-old female MSU student was sexually assaulted Sunday morning while walking to her car on the 300 block of Division Street.
This attack comes after two attempted abductions in Okemos and Williamston Township last week.
At midnight, the student was walking from a friend's house to her vehicle when she was approached by a man holding a gun, East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said.
The male was standing between her and a dark-colored SUV. He forced her into the car and then sexually assaulted her, police said.
The student was released by the man after the assault. Police said a second man also was inside the vehicle during the assault.
The first suspect is described as a white male in his late 20s, wearing blue jeans and possibly a dark red shirt, Liebler said. The other suspect is described as a white male in his late 20s, blond hair, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, and has a slender build.
The vehicle the two men were in is possibly a midsize black or blue Chevrolet S-10 Blazer with cloth seats, Liebler said.
Jefferson Sina, an MSU faculty member and Division Street resident, said police are only visible when they are called.
"We need bigger police presence," Sina said. "We need beat cops walking or with bikes on the street from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday."
Nursing senior Lindsey Misch, who lives on Division Street, said she feels students need to be more careful when traveling the streets at night.
"The police are doing their job," she said. "I've never worried about (safety). I'm always walking with someone."
Mark Anderson, a management senior and Division Street resident, said he likes to think the streets are safe.
"With the high concentration of students, I would like to think that there wouldn't be many assaults," he said. "I didn't think there were any safety issues until this happened."
In Okemos, two men are suspected in the attempted abduction of a 15-year-old female Saturday night. Meridian Township police Lt. Russell Wolff said two men turned themselves in Monday afternoon and police are investigating.
On Friday afternoon, a man allegedly attempted to grab a 14-year-old girl in Williamston while she was walking her dog, according to the Ingham County Sheriff's Department.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the East Lansing Police Department at (517) 337-2599, the Ingham County Sheriff's Office at (517) 676-8248 or the Meridian Township Police Department at (517) 347-5060.
Joseph Montes can be reached at montesjo@msu.edu.
