News

Laney student reports rape near campus

Peralta police advise caution when traveling area

Michelle Snider, Editor in Chief

December 18, 2019

Estimated location of assault in Estuary Park on Thursday morning, according to Peralta Police Sergeant Thomas Boyd

OAKLAND, CA — A female Laney College student reported being raped on Thursday, Nov. 7 at Estuary Park, according to an email from Peralta Police Thursday evening. Estuary Park is off the Laney campus between the water and the baseball field.

According to Peralta Police Sergeant Thomas Boyd, the student was alone eating lunch just before 11:00 a.m when she reported being approached by an unknown man she described as a 6’ 01” adult black male approximately 18–19 years old. Boyd said the suspect was wearing a dark hoodie, gray sweatpants, black sandals and had an “athletic build with short unkempt hair.”

The suspect intimidated the student into moving with him into a tunnel in which Boyd said she reported the suspect then raped her. The tunnel location separates Estuary Park near the Laney College sports fields and the Peralta Community College District offices under E. 8th Street.

After the assault, she immediately called 911 to report the attack and was transported to the hospital for treatment. The suspect is still at large, according to Boyd.

Both Peralta Police Services and the Oakland Police Department (OPD) immediately responded, according to Sergeant Boyd, and determined the assault occurred in OPD’s jurisdiction. Boyd said OPD is now assuming the role of the primary investigative agency.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) email said it is collaborating with the Oakland Police Department to identify and apprehend the suspect.

An email sent to Laney students and Laney/Peralta employees Thursday asked them to be vigilant and recommended the use of a buddy system when walking to cars or remote areas on campus.

If an escort is needed, Peralta police are available to provide services in the campus area.

Anyone with information about this incident can contact the main Peralta Police Services line at (510) 465–3514.

For more information about campus safety, please visit the Peralta Police Service website at https://web.peralta.edu/police-services/ and download the latest Personal Safety Handbook, which includes even more safety tips, here.

Estuary Park near bridge that crosses towards Laney College from the baseball field has areas covered in bushes and trees. Peralta Police recommend using a buddy system when walking the area. (Photo by Michelle Snider/The Citizen)

About the Contributor

Michelle Snider, Editor in Chief

Michelle Snider is the Editor-in-Chief of The Citizen and has been an editor for three of the four semesters she has attended at Laney College. Best known for going viral filming “BBQ Becky” at Lake Merritt during her first semester, Michelle aspires to break into a new modern world of multimedia journalism. Dabbling in photojournalism, article writing, social media reporting, and film, Michelle has learned how to use different mediums to tell everyday stories. In 2017, Michelle was concerned about violent rallies breaking out in Berkeley, CA and went to document what she felt would one day be political history. When she learned what she was doing was considered journalism, she was inspired to go back to school to get a journalism degree. She later sold some of her Berkeley footage to a PBS Frontline documentary called “Documenting Hate.” At 42-years old, after raising 20-year-old twins, Michelle is ready to start a new life informing the local community and the world about the events around her. After all, journalism is the first draft of history.