A Hyde Park resident was sexually assaulted Wednesday evening as she entered her apartment building, according to police reports.
According to a Chicago Police Department (CPD) spokesman, the 24-year-old resident of 1380 East Hyde Park Boulevard was returning home at 9:55 p.m. when a stranger followed her inside the lobby and grabbed her around the neck. The offender then told the victim that he had a knife and dragged her to the rear of the building near some dumpsters, where he sexually assaulted her.
The victim was able to cry out during the assault, the CPD said, prompting the offender to grab her purse and run off. Police were called and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention. She was later released in good condition. The CPD did not release the victim’s name, a standard practice in sexual assault cases.
While the victim was unable to provide a substantial description of the attacker, her building, Madison Park Apartments, has a security camera in the lobby. Police are examining the footage in an attempt to find a picture of the offender.
A University spokesman said that the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) would be “paying special attention to that area” in the future.
UCPD Executive Director Rudy Nimocks sent a security alert e-mail to the University community Thursday morning, informing them of the crime. It was the second violent crime alert in as many weeks.
