Graduate Student Assaulted in Elevator

An unidentified individual assaulted a Harvard graduate student Tuesday evening in a Peabody Terrace elevator, according to an advisory issued yesterday by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD).

HUPD spokesperson Peggy A. McNamara said the graduate student asked the suspect “Can I help you?” as he entered Entry 11 of Peabody Terrace with her. He responded that he was a tenant and had forgotten his keys.

The man then followed the woman into the elevator where he allegedly grabbed the victim’s thigh. She screamed and he fled the building, McNamara said.

The victim called 911 to report the incident.

HUPD and the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) arrived on the scene minutes later at 8:05 p.m., but a search for the suspect came up negative.

The victim went to the CPD headquarters to try and identify possible suspects.

Yesterday’s advisory described the suspect as a teenage black male, 5 foot 6 or 7 inches tall, 120 pounds with “braided hair that sticks up.”

McNamara said members of the Harvard community should be wary of strangers trying to enter their dormitories.

“It’s difficult to do, but if you’re not comfortable [letting someone into your building] then don’t let them in,” she said, explaining that authorized people should be able to get in anyway. “If you need to be in the building, you should have access to the building.”

HUPD and CPD are continuing to investigate and search for the suspect. McNamara said anyone who sees a person matching the suspect’s description should call HUPD or CPD.

The assault is the second this year in graduate school housing. In January, Giorgi Zedginidze, a student at the Graduate School of Education, was arrested and charged with two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault and battery to a person over the age of 14.

—Staff writer Jenifer L. Steinhardt can be reached at steinhar@fas.harvard.edu.