Moody Towers are high rise dorms complete with card keys and staff security. But at 4:30 in the morning Thursday, a student awoke in her dorm room to a stranger touching her. She screamed and he fled. But a photo identified by the female student indicates the suspect is no stranger to campus police. He's been identified as Astin Chavers Clark, 22. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Lt. Bret Collier with the University of Houston Police Department said, "He'd been arrested before for criminal trespass. I believe he was sleeping in Moody Towers in the basement."
Police say security video captured his image as he entered the dorm lobby. Apparently he had help getting in.
"We can see that he was allowed in by someone that did have access," said Lt. Collier. "So we'll have to investigate to see if that was someone known to him."
The incident has a lot of students in the dorm talking and thinking.
Student Bailey Walcock said, "Lock your doors, be with a group of people -- just the basics."
There is a security review underway to determine what the breakdown was that allowed an intruder inside. A student dorm advisor who lives in the towers, though, says the student's dorm room door may have been unlocked and that's rule number one.
"You have to take the proper security procedures," said dorm advisor Mike Brown. "While in the dorm, lock your door. If there's a knock at the door, check to see who's there. Check to see if you know the person and if you don't, don't open the door."
The charge when the suspect is found is expected to be unlawful entry of a habitation and attempted felony act.
A second student was targeted in criminal act on the same day. Campus police say a female student abducted at gunpoint. She was robbed, driven around for about an hour and then released off campus.
Anyone with information about any of the incidents is asked to call UHDPS at 713-743-3333.
