The Miami University Police Department (MUPD) has arrested a visitor to Miami's campus, Miguel Ramirez, shortly after a female Miami student in Brandon Hall reported a burglary and sexual assault at 4:43 a.m. Sunday.
Ramirez, 19, is currently waiting arraignment for only a burglary charge in Butler County Jail, according to Sgt. David Reynolds, a supervisor at the facility. The bond for Ramirez is set at $500,080, Reynolds said. He is scheduled for arraignment at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning where Butler County Area 1 Court will appoint him an attorney.
In addition, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating this incident as well.
Lt. Andrew Powers of MUPD said investigation is still pending on the incident reported to have occurred at 4:40 a.m. Sunday. According to reports, a resident assistant for Brandon Hall alerted police that an unknown male allegedly sexually assaulted a female student, 18, while she was in bed.
Powers said officers in Brandon located the male. Ramirez was identified and interviewed by detectives, allegedly admitting that he entered the room. Ramirez was booked at Butler County Jail at 9:45 a.m. for the burglary charge, according to Reynolds.
According to the MUPD report, the victim stated that the unknown male came into the residence hall room after her boyfriend had left, and the male subject sexually assaulted her. Reportedly, further charges beyond the current burglary charge may result, as investigation is pending.
Powers said that in his 16 years of experience at MUPD, a few incidences of this nature have occurred.
"The case hasn't yet been adjudicated," Powers said. "No judgment has been passed in court. As the investigation is ongoing, there are still other charges to pursue."
Sgt. Reynolds said that though Ramirez is listed as a Chicago resident in the MUPD reports, Butler County Jail officers found his address to be in San Antonio, Texas.
ICE has placed a holder on Ramirez's release should he make bond regarding their own investigation of his case, Sgt. Reynolds said.
"A holder is when an agency outside Butler County Sheriff's Department has further investigation," Reynolds said. "In this case, it's federal immigration."
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Powers said Miami University has barred Ramirez from the campus, with MUPD given jurisdiction to arrest Ramirez on-sight for criminal trespassing.
First-year Drew Harkleroad, a resident of Brandon, said he was absent from the hall this weekend, so he found out about the incident when the rest of campus opened e-mail inboxes. Miami's response team e-mail alerted all students, faculty and staff of the incident at about 4:30 Monday afternoon.
"Because I haven't been around, I didn't hear about it until (Monday night)," Harkleroad said. "But after the e-mail went out, I called some of my friends at Brandon to find out what was going on."
Harkleroad said that Ramirez was a friend of a male resident of Brandon and was staying in the building on his visit, but that overall, residents are not inclined to discuss the incident.
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