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NEWS
MONITOR DECEMBER 12, 2013
CAMPUS INCIDENT
Transient causes stir at Ohlone Fremont man arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief A 23-year-old transient was arrested Friday after he was accused of exposing himself to a student in the quad on the Fremont campus before fleeing, police said. Rahem Gipson was arrested on suspicion of obstructing and resisting, and indecent exposure, Fremont police said. It was the first non-forcible sex offense on the Fremont campus in more than three years, according to campus police. The incident began about 11:15 a.m. Friday, according to Campus Police Chief Steve Osawa. “I can’t give out any personal information because it is a sex crime,” Osawa said. In a statement, Osawa said: “The victim student
was not physically touched, injured or harmed by the suspect. The suspect was located in the upper quad area and officers attempted to detain and question the suspect. The suspect struggled with the officers and fled the campus.” The Fremont Police Department was notified and responded to the incident. Gipson was detained by Fremont police officers while hiding in the backyard of a residence on Nido Court near the campus, Fremont police spokeswoman Geneva Bosques said. “On the way to the campus, a responding officer encountered the suspect on foot and when he attempted to talk to him he ran,” Bosques said. “The officer made a Uturn at Mission Boulevard and the 680 entrance when Gipson jumped a sound wall and continued to run.” Officers followed Gipson from the street as he continued to evade police before making his way to the sound wall surrounding the Nido Court neighborhood, Bosques said.
It is scary to know that something like this could happen here at Ohlone, but honestly this is the first I ever heard of something like this -Ohlone student Jasmine Rhys Officers deployed a police dog in the neighborhood, but Gipson surrenderedwithout incident, Bosques said. “It is scary to know that something like this could happen here at Ohlone, but honestly this is the first I ever heard of something like this,” Ohlone student Jasmine Rhys said. “I have taken late classes before and I would be really scared if something like that happened to me.” According to the threeyear annual campus crime report, no non-forcible sex-
ual offenses have been reported in the district since 2010. This year, a victim reported a forcible sexual assault that happened in 2012 – the only one in the past three years. No campus-wide crime alert was issued because the crime occurred more than a year before it was reported. “It makes me a lot more comfortable as a woman to know that these type of incidents don’t really happen here that often, Rhys said. “Scary, but at the same time I can’t just stay home and be scared.”
The Monitor will be on winter break, but be sure to check for updates online at www.ohlonemonitor.com.
NEWS BITES SOAR donations Social Ohlone and Recognition (SOAR) is seeking donations to help pay for social events for employees at Ohlone College. Past SOAR-sponsored events have included welcome back lunches for employees, a pre-graduation dinner and recognition awards, and the group’s annual winter party. This semester, the group tackled employee quality of life issues and co-sponsored employee flu shots. The group receives no money from the district. To donate, go to www.ohlone. edu/org/soar/contribute. html.
Toy drive Ohlone students and staff still have time to donate toys in any of the League of Volunteers (LOV) toy drive bins on campus. On the Fremont campus, the bin is located outside the president’s office in Building 1 and on the Newark campus it will be in the main lobby. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 18. –Compiled by Marissa Martin