The Los Angeles City Council offered a $50,000 reward Friday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a rapist who attacked a Loyola Marymount University student during an off-campus Halloween party last fall.
The university earlier this year offered a $20,000 reward in the case.
Los Angeles police detectives have run out of leads and are seeking more witnesses or others who attended the same party as the victim, who was raped occurred about midnight last Nov. 1 at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house in the 8700 block of Yorktown Avenue in Westchester.
The rapist was described as a white man in his early 20s, about 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, with long blonde or brown hair. He was wearing a white top hat, white shirt and dark pants at the time of the crime, police said.
LAPD Detective Deann Maltos said the female victim did not know the rapist, and investigators do not believe the attack was part of a pattern or series of rapes. She said the party, which was not an LMU function, did not have a guest list and many attendees learned of the event through word-of- mouth.
Detectives are looking to speak to as many people as possible who may know something about the crime, Maltos said. While the rape occurred out of view, investigators are interested in talking to anyone who may have been in the same room before or after, or saw the suspect elsewhere at the party.
“We interviewed a lot of people at the party,” Maltos said. “None of those interviews have led us to the suspect. We are looking for any additional information, for people who were at the party or who know the suspect to come forward and provide that information to us.”
Anyone who saw anything suspicious that night or who has information about the suspect’s identity or whereabouts was urged to call the Sexual Assault Section of the LAPD’s Operations West Bureau at (213) 473-0447.
Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin, who proposed the reward, made a plea for someone to come forward, saying it is “for the sake of the victim, her family and for the sake of other young women who this guy could make victims in the future.”
—Staff and wire reports