Disturbing Arrests At SCSU Have Students on Edge

Students at Southern Connecticut State University are shocked as word of a disturbing arrest spreads around. On the same night a sexual assault was reported on campus, police arrested a man nearby for exposing himself to a 12-year-old girl.

“It could happen to anyone, really,” Tuesday was the first day SCSU junior Sarah Whiteley heard about last Thursdays arrest.

Whiteley is worried about her safety.  "We walk around on campus at night. There are classes that end at 10 o’clock at night. If you don’t see a shuttle you might just decide to walk back and this is kind of scary it not really lit up at nighttime,” she said.

The two incidents happened Thursday April 8.  SCSU campus police responded to an alleged sexual assault in a school parking lot in the evening hours.  Then, around midnight, Evans Phiri, 23, of Hamden was arrested less than a block from the school.

His was shirtless, wearing no shoes and his genitals were exposed. Police say a 12 year old girl, reported missing from New Haven, was also in the car.

A SCSU spokesperson says the two incidents are connected but they wouldn’t say if Phiri was involved in both.

Phiri has been charged with risk of injury to a minor.  A neighbor of his on Dickerman Street in Hamden said he shares the home with his parents and two brothers.

He is still in jail according to police because he hasn’t posted his $100,000 bond.  He will be back in court on April 23rd.

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