A 19-year-old male is suspected of sexually assaulting a student in a bathroom at a North Texas high school after gaining unauthorized entry to the campus, according to authorities.
According to a news release from Mesquite police, the sexual assault occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, at Horn High School in Mesquite.
Investigators discovered that a high school student unlocked an exterior entrance, allowing the suspect to evade routine security protocols, according to police.
Once inside the building, the suspect discovered the victim, who police identified as a female he knew. According to the release, the man accosted her and used a weapon to compel her into the restroom, where the sexual assault occurred.
A teacher observed the suspect in a hallway after the assault and attempted to identify him, but he fled the building, school district officials said in a statement. The teacher informed a school resource officer about the incident.
The suspect is not a student at Horn High School. Police recognized him as Synniaz Elijah. Mesquite police executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in Seagoville around 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, and he was discovered and arrested. According to authorities, Elijah faces charges of severe sexual assault.
Source: 19-Year-Old Charged in Sexual Assault of Student in North Texas High School Bathroom
