Students at Manhattan College in the Bronx are calling for increased security where they live after two incidents of students allegedly waking up to find a stranger watching them sleep, and in one case sexually assaulting a woman.
Some residents of the Overlook Manor dormitory say they are on edge and "don't feel safe" after the incidents earlier this year. According to police, two female students woke up to a strange man standing over them as they slept on January 26 and February 9.
In the more recent incident, the victim said the man who broke into her dorm room also sexually assaulted her. Police are looking into whether the two crimes are connected.
While there is around-the-clock security for the dorm, including cameras and a security guard, some students aren't so sure it's helping keep them safe. One of the victims has since moved out of the dorm, students said.
"They put in new access patrols this year, which is supposed to be better security, but honestly people are trying to get around [and] sneaking people in more, so I don't know if its really helping," said senior Olivia Haveron.
Others who live in the building are concerned because the school didn't notify students of the incidents right away. At a meeting earlier in the week, the building residents said the school addressed the issue — but instead put the blame on the students.
"I understand its a police investigation and that they can only tell us so much, but the issue is we didn't find out until three days later after the second incident, and they just told us to lock the doors," said Haveron. Another student told NBC New York that it's not uncommon to see unlocked doors in the dormitory because the locks on the older doors don't always work properly.
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As a result of the incidents, residents say they are only going out in pairs.
The school said that student safety is their number one priority, and that they have added more security in the area. No arrests have yet been made.
