A 20-year old student was walking with friends from a party when she was kidnapped and raped early Saturday morning.
Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse, Dallas police department spokesman, confirmed the student attends SMU.
Police have cancelled an afternoon press conference about the incident and are not releasing any additional information. Janse said police are acting on leads and may be able to apprehend the suspects soon.
The woman was abducted in the 1800 block of North Garrett Avenue at gunpoint by three men in a SUV, according to reports by WFAA and The Dallas Morning News. As the SUV left, her friends tried unsuccessfully to stop the vehicle. They then stopped into a convenience store and called police.
According to WFAA and The Dallas Morning News, the men took the woman into an empty parking lot and raped her. The men spoke Spanish during the attack. They then shoved her out onto the 1300 block of South Haskell Avenue where she eventually was able to get someone to call the police to help her.
SMU issue a statement Tuesday evening: “The thoughts and prayers of the SMU community are with a student who was sexually assaulted off campus early Saturday morning. University officials are providing counseling and support to the victim and her friends. The SMU Police Department is cooperating with the Dallas Police Department in its investigation. We will continue to remind students of the need for crime awareness and to take appropriate safety precautions.”