UAPD crime logs show multiple sexual assault complaints

University of Arizona students living in residence halls, attending fraternity and sorority events, or walking near campus are confronting renewed concerns about sexual violence after UAPD crime logs showed multiple reports of alleged rape and sexual assault this year. A review of the logs found 16 reports classified as some form of rape since January, along with four reports categorized as sexual assault. The records include cases that are closed as well as reports that remain under investigation, and they do not identify the people involved or provide detailed accounts of what allegedly occurred.

A separate review of the log by the Arizona Daily Star found 15 reports of alleged sexual assault recorded from mid August through October. UAPD confirmed that three of those cases were still active, while nine had been closed. The status of the other three was not clear because the university had not released additional records. The differing totals reflect different time periods and classifications in the log, which includes reports made to UAPD and reports received by other university offices, including housing and campus security.

The locations that were listed show that the reports were not confined to one part of campus. Eleven of the reports in the broader January review involved university residence halls, while four were connected to off campus locations. Two were listed at fraternity houses and one at a sorority. In the fall records examined by the Star, three reports named specific residence hall addresses, including Honors Village, Gila Residence Hall and Árbol de La Vida Hall. Another identified the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house. Ten of the 15 fall reports did not include a specific location, with several referring only to an unknown dormitory, fraternity or location.

UAPD records manager Eric Johnson said some reports come through university departments from people who do not want law enforcement involvement. Those individuals may decline to provide a location or other details, and they may also refuse a later request to file a formal police complaint. In those situations, the report can be closed, even though the university may have followed up and offered another opportunity to contact police. That reporting structure means the daily log captures allegations brought to the university, but it does not represent every incident that may have occurred or every case that resulted in a full police investigation.

The most detailed public case involves a UA sorority member who told police she was sexually assaulted by two men at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house during the early morning of Aug. 26. She reported the allegation later that morning and received a sexual assault forensic examination at Banner University Medical Center. A search warrant return filed in Pima County Superior Court says one of the men later participated in a one party consent call with the student. The document says he claimed she consented, denied that a second man was present and described himself as drunk and unclear about parts of the encounter. Court records do not show that arrests or criminal charges have been filed.

Sigma Phi Epsilon was placed on an activities suspension by the UA Dean of Students Office after the case drew public attention. The national fraternity said it does not tolerate sexual assault or misconduct and is cooperating with UAPD. Its national chief executive said the members involved had been suspended while the investigation proceeds, and that anyone found responsible would be expelled. UAPD has not said whether any arrests have been made in the active cases. Sgt. Andrew Valenzuela said that answering questions about arrests could reveal information about ongoing investigations, while Chief Chris Olson said the department investigates every allegation and seeks charges when people are criminally accountable.

The university has also declined to discuss individual cases, citing federal privacy rules and the need to protect student disciplinary matters. Vice President for Student Affairs Amanda Kraus said the reports are deeply concerning and that students should feel safe and supported on campus. She said the university contacts affected students after receiving a report and offers counseling, academic assistance, safety planning and confidential survivor support. Kraus also pointed to prevention education and programming for fraternity and sorority organizations, while acknowledging that campus safety requires continuing attention, accountability and listening to students. The Star said university and police officials did not provide interviews about broader prevention and investigative practices, and its requests for case reports remained unresolved.

The concerns arrive amid other incidents affecting women around the university area. In August, UAPD arrested 41 year old Henry Yanez III after investigators linked him to a reported stalking incident near Euclid Avenue and First Street and a separate allegation that he groped a female student near Park Avenue and University Boulevard. Police said a woman unaffiliated with campus reported that a man repeatedly offered her rides, then saw him waiting across the street after she entered a Main Gate Square restaurant. The next day, a student reported being groped by a man who gave his first name and drove a vehicle matching the earlier description. Yanez was arrested on one assault charge and barred from UA property.

Yanez had previously been arrested in 2015 after two stalking incidents on campus, prompting community speculation that he could be connected to other reports of groping and harassment dating back to December. UAPD said there was not enough information to establish that link, though detectives considered it as part of their investigation. Together, the stalking case and the sexual assault reports have intensified attention to how students report misconduct, how quickly institutions communicate and what support is available when an allegation is made. For students and families, the logs offer a limited warning sign rather than a complete count, since stigma, embarrassment, peer pressure and concerns about law enforcement can all discourage reporting.