UPDATE: A 16-year-old male suspect has been arrested in connection with the sexual assault that occurred at Lee University on Sunday.
Police originally said the suspect was 17.
A person told investigators he loaned a knife to a friend whose physical description matched the suspect description given by the victim. The person also described the knife as a foldable knife with the tip broken off.
Two knives were recovered from the scene, one was a box cutting-type knife and the other was a foldable knife with the tip broken off.
The juvenile suspect has been charged with aggravated rape.
Thanks to a collective effort between the Cleveland Police investigators, Lee University Campus Security and the District Attorney’s Office, the suspect was swiftly identified, located and arrested.
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ORIGINAL STORY: The Cleveland Police Department says it is has identified a person of interest in an alleged sexual assault that occurred on the Lee University campus over the weekend.
In an email to students Monday, the university said a female student was assaulted on the campus Sunday afternoon. The victim was working in a ceramics classroom in the Mayfield Annex when an unknown male approached her with a knife and demanded sexual activity, the email states.
“We are actively attempting to locate this individual and taking precautions in doing so,” states a news release from the Cleveland Police Department. “At this time, as to not compromise the investigation or our ability to locate the suspect, we are restricted on the information we are able to release.”
Investigators have been working with Lee University and the District Attorney’s Office.
“We must take into consideration the traumatic event the victim endured and be compassionate of the continuing effects this crime has had on her,” the release states.