By Khalida Sarwari
A man has been charged with the sexual battery of a female student near the San Jose State University engineering building earlier this month, university police said today.
Michael Anthony Parrish, 39, of San Jose, was arrested on Sept. 14 for a probation violation and is being held in Santa Clara County Jail, according to SJSU police.
Police believe he is the person who, on Sept. 5, lured a female student into a secluded area and groped her after offering her a cigarette.
The student was sitting on a bench on campus near South Seventh and East San Fernando streets sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. when a man offered her the cigarette, university police Sgt. Robert Noriega said.
He then lured her into the alcove of a nearby building, where he groped her and tried to keep her from leaving, Noriega said.
She was able to break free and caught a bus nearby, but the man followed her onto the bus, Noriega said.
He eventually got off the bus, and the victim rode the bus to the end of the line at Capitol Expressway, then reported the incident to police at about 11 a.m.
The SJSU Police Department is reminding students to be aware of their surroundings, avoid walking alone at night or when the campus is closed, and to report suspicious activity to police.
Any student, employee, or visitor who wants a police escort can call SJSU police at (408) 924-2222 or use a campus blue-light police services phone.
Anonymous tips can be sent to the SJSU Police Department via text or e-mail to sjsu@tipnow.org or text or voicemail to (408) 337-2919.
