Police at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are currently searching for a man accused of assaulting a woman in her dormitory on Tuesday night.
The incident occurred when a woman was attempting to enter her dorm room at Harvard. Reports indicate that a man approached her from behind, covered her mouth, and allegedly attempted to force his way in. Fortunately, some bystanders stepped in, prompting the suspect to flee the scene. Authorities responded to the situation at around 5:41 p.m.
Despite the police’s efforts, they were unable to locate the individual after he followed another person into the dormitory entrance without proper authorization.
The same man is also believed to have entered a residence hall at MIT later that evening. MIT police described his behavior as “suspicious” after he accessed the building through a side entrance around 5:45 p.m.
Security camera footage revealed that the man exited the dormitory hall at approximately 5:59 p.m. MIT police believe he matches the description of the person involved in the earlier incident at Harvard.
Authorities have described the suspect as a white male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin build, wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts.
In response to the events, David Leibson and Nina Zipser, deans of Harvard’s Lowell House, communicated with students via email, assuring them that police were patrolling the area and inviting residents to discuss their feelings about the incident.
Following the assault, officials at Harvard advised students to remain alert about people who might be trying to follow them into restricted areas of the campus.
If anyone has information regarding the incident, authorities encourage them to reach out to MIT Police at 617-258-TIPS.
