SANTA CLARA (KRON) — A student at Santa Clara University was sexually assaulted in broad daylight Sunday morning, leaving many in shock.
“It’s Very Surprising,” said Santa Clara University student Matt Blankenship.
The alleged sexual assault happened within walking distance of Santa Clara University, according to Santa Clara Police.
Matt Blankenship is a sophomore at the university and said he received an alert about the attack from his school shortly after it happened.
“I definitely don’t think its an anomaly. It happens at a lot of places, but it’s unfortunate it happened here,” Blankenship said.
It happened on Lafayette and Poplar streets.
The woman was walking home from a friend’s house just after eight a.m. Sunday morning when it happened, according to police.
She was approached by a man from behind and was sexually assaulted on the sidewalk, officials said.
“It was a traumatic incident for her and completely unexpected and out of character for the area,” said Lieutenant Dan Moreno of the Santa Clara Police Department.
The woman got a good look at the suspect. She described him as a black male adult between thirty and forty years-old with a bald or shaved head, according to Moreno, and was wearing a black shirt and athletic type clothes.
The victim was treated at a hospital and released.
A similar incident happened Buchser Middle School, just a short distance from the university.
Lieutenant Moreno says this case has his department’s full attention.