An unauthorized man entered Howard University's Plaza Tower East, locked himself in a student’s bathroom and showered on Sunday before University Police asked him to leave without making an arrest.

Manjot Jassal, a sophomore biology major, was abruptly awakened at 4:30 a.m. to find an unwanted visitor lurking outside her bedroom in her suite.

Screaming at the top of her lungs Jassal yelled, “Get out! Get out!” She said the intruder then walked away and Jassal locked her bedroom door. Jassal  called for HUPD while the stranger remained just outside her room.

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Plaza Towers

HUPD Chief Leroy K. James said this incident with Jassal was the only case that his officers are aware of with this unidentified intruder, but Jassal said she heard talk that morning of several complaints against the same man.

“They told me that he was in jail, but I found out from my housing coordinator that they [HUPD] let him go,” Jassal said.

She proceeded to call Metropolitian Police.

According to Jassal, HUPD gave the man an option to leave if he cooperated — an option he took advantage of. She said the Metropolitan Police did not understand why HUPD let the man go and said to “call 911 if something else happens, not campus police.” She also said the Metropolitan Police said there isn’t much they can do because the perpetrator was already released from custody.

The Hilltop has yet to contact Metropolitan Police.
James said HUPD is conducting an internal inquiry to learn why that release occurred and is in the midst of obtaining an arrest warrant.

“It shouldn’t come to the point where they need a warrant on the guy. They had him in custody two times already,” Jassal said.

She said she has made a complaint with HUPD and will  contact Metropolitan Police again today to find out what further measures she should take.

“I’m undeniably astonished at the fact we come here thinking we are safe, and I can’t even be safe in my own bedroom,” Jassal said. “I don’t think ,‘Oh I hate this place,’ but I’m outraged at the fact that the security isn’t up to par.”

Tahirah Hairston writes for The Hilltop, the Howard University student newspaper, which originally published this article.