Woman Wearing Head Scarf Attacked On San Jose State Campus
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – A woman in a head scarf was attacked at a San Jose State University parking garage on Wednesday afternoon, school officials said.
The victim was walking on the third floor of the West Garage at South Fourth and East San Salvador streets around 2:10 p.m., when the suspect came up from behind her and tugged down her head scarf, school officials said in a campus alert.
The suspect choked the victim, who lost her balance from the impact of the attack, then ran away, school officials said.
The suspect was described as a fair-skinned male who wore a dark-colored hoodie and khaki pants, according to school officials.
"We are, of course, very concerned that this has occurred on our campus," university spokeswoman Pat Lopes Harris said in a statement Thursday.
"No one should experience this kind of behavior at San Jose State," she said.
The San Jose State University Muslim Association wrote a message on their Facebook page. It said that while the alleged victim is OK, they plan to meet with campus leaders to make sure it doesn't happen again.
The latest attack involving an SJSU student has the campus on edge.
"I don't feel safe on this campus," said San Jose State University student Kyle Goody. "I feel like that is just something that is outrageous."
While it's unclear if the student was targeted because of her religion, others said any attack on campus is a sign more enforcement needs to be done.
"People are allowed to feel the way that they should about whatever and they should be able to worship whoever they feel," said Goody. "And no one should be discriminated or attacked because of that."
No arrests have been made as of Thursday morning in the attack, which remains under investigation, Harris said.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call university police at (408) 924-2222. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call the department's CrimeStoppers line at (408) 924-2236 or send an email to sjsu@tipnow.org.
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