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Police: Mississippi man prowled Southeastern campus before abducting, raping student

1 year 10 months 3 weeks ago Friday, May 06 2022 May 6, 2022 May 06, 2022 8:32 PM May 06, 2022 in News
Source: WBRZ

HAMMOND - Police arrested a man from Jackson, Mississippi, in connection with the on-campus abduction and rape of a Southeastern Louisiana University student Thursday morning.

Demetris Harris, 19, was booked with aggravated kidnapping, first-degree rape and possession of a firearm, the university said.

According to Southeastern Police Chief Michael Beckner, Harris, who is not a student at the university, randomly picked his victim as he drove through campus around 8 a.m. Police also told WBRZ Friday that Harris moved to Hammond from Mississippi only three days ago.

Just a few days later, he's in jail for what they describe as a random kidnapping and rape.

The kidnapping happened near North Oak and West Dakota streets around 8 a.m. The victim told police the man took out a gun during the encounter. Shortly after the crime, the university released an image of the vehicle the suspect used and a brief description of him.

"The detail description she gave really played a huge part in us getting a good bit of leads," Beckner said.

The university said officers with the Hammond Police Department and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office found Harris about four hours later at an apartment complex off of Highway 51.

"I'm glad that we got somebody in custody quickly, but when you have an incident like this, one is too many," Beckner told WWL-TV. "You want that number zero."

Harris's bond had not been set as of Friday evening.

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