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volume 71 Issue 5

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wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013

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“He grabbed me and I thought he was going to put me in the car.”

ASSAULTS LINGER 1 109 9 Lonnie Scott Keith, who was arrested in connection with two south-campus attacks, faces one count of rape. He also faces kidnapping charges and two counts of assault with intent to commit a felony.

There have been nine sexual assaults on campus property between the years of 2009 and 2011, as reported by Chico State’s Cleary Report.

Number of rapes reported in the city of Chico between 2009 and 2011 as detailed by Chico Police.

As trial begins, many rapes remain unsolved velopment during the investigation of a series of south-campus sexual assaults. But when he goes on trial for six counts related to the commission of sexual assaults on Oct. 7, many of the sex crimes that involved women being snatched off the street by a man waiting in a car will remain unsolved.

Benjamin Mullin

Editor-in-Chief

On Jan. 29, Lt. Mike O’Brien of the Chico Police Department stood before reporters and announced the arrest of Lonnie Scott Keith, who was charged with two kidnappings and a sexual assault. Beside a blown-up picture of Keith’s face and Pepper spray attacker a timeline of sexual asstalks streets saults committed within In September 2011, two the last year, police laid female Chico State stuout the items discovered dents were attacked by Lonnie Scott in Keith’s car when they a young white man who Keith stopped him at 2:30 a.m. exited a dark-colored seArrested in connection with for running a stop sign. dan with tinted windows south-campus The items included syand doused the women sexual assaults ringes loaded with sedin pepper spray. atives, a back seat covOne of the women, ered with blankets and who had been exposed bedding, a stun gun and adhesive to pepper spray before, described tape cut into several strips. The the battle with her attacker in a car, they said, was primed for an- 2011 interview with The Orion. She other sexual assault. said passersby near West Eighth Keith’s arrest was a major de- and Hazel streets watched and did

nothing as she fought for her safety. “He grabbed me and I thought he was going to put me in the car,” she said. She began kicking and screaming and was able to get free long enough to run into her home, which was just around the corner. That same night, a witness saw a dark-colored sedan circling the neighborhood from 11 p.m. to the early morning. “It was stalking my neighborhood,” the witness said in a 2011 Orion interview. “We haven’t seen it since.” After that night, seven more sexual assaults would take place in the South-Campus Neighborhood over the span of 12 months. When police made an arrest in connection with two of those assaults in January 2013, their suspect didn’t fit the profile of a rapist. “He was a respected member of the community,” said O’Brien said. “He held a position of trust within the community working at the hos-

Weapons used According to a Chico police press release, which listed 10 attacks, not all of the women were assaulted, possibly because they fought off their attackers. A majority of the assaults involving college-aged females that occurred leading up to Keith’s arrest had some common elements.

Three of the women were attacked with pepper spray

Nine of the incidents involved the assailant using a vehicle in some manner.

» please see assaults | A5

The Orion ∤ Infographic by Robert HArris

Student dies after hit-and-run

Nursing student spent 2 days at Enloe Medical Center in critical condition Ernesto Rivera

Chief Copy Editor A Chico State student who fought serious injuries after being struck by a car Sunday evening died Tuesday afternoon at Enloe Medical Center. Kristina Chesterman, 21, a senior nursing major, suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck on the 300 block of Nord Avenue shortly before 11 p.m. and was transported to Enloe Medical Center in critical condition after the police arrived on scene, according to a Chico police press release. She died two days later, said Joe Wills, Chico State’s director of public affairs and publications. According to the press release, Riley Hoover, a 19-year-old Chico resident, was intoxicated and fled the collision scene after striking Chesterman. Police say Hoover was involved Kristina in another collision at the 700 Chesterman block of Nord Avenue, where ofSenior ficers arrested him on suspicion nursing major of driving under the influence and fleeing a crime scene. Chico police received the call regarding the collision at 10:54 p.m. and responded to the scene, said Sgt. George Laver of the Chico Police Department. “The bicyclist was riding on the right-hand edge in the bike lane going northbound on Nord Avenue,” he said. “The vehicle crossed into the bike lane and struck the bicyclist from behind.” Chesterman was dragged on the hood of Hoover’s GMC SUV for 100 yards after the impact, Laver said. The bicycle became lodged under the car and dislodged 200 yards after the impact. The officers on the scene saw Chesterman had trouble breathing and suffered significant head injuries. Para-

INDEX

The Orion ∤ Infographic by ERNESTO RIVERA

medics arrived immediately. “They initially told us she was in critical, pretty grave, condition,” Laver said. Chesterman spent two days in critical condition at Enloe Medical Center, according to Christina Chavira, a spokesperson for Enloe Medical Center. A candlelight vigil for Chesterman’s recovery was held outside of Enloe Medical Center Monday evening.About 20 people gathered outside the hospital, including Chico State nursing students, friends and well-wishers, who wrote get-well notes on a poster that was later taken to her room. Adam Wright, a Butte College student, said he became best friends with Chesterman in high school. She has always loved helping people, one of the many reasons she joined the nursing program at Chico State, Wright said. “She touched everyone that met her,” he said. “Every-

one that met her liked her.” Chesterman transferred to Chico State from Livermore, Calif. in fall 2012, said Joe Wills, director of public affairs and publications. Hoover consented to a blood test and is currently being held at Butte County Jail, where he is being charged with two felonies: hit-and-run resulting in death or injury and driving under the influence causing bodily injury, according to the Butte County Sheriff ’s Office. His court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 25 at the Butte County Courthouse. His bail has been set at $260,000. The University flag is being flown at half staff today in Chesterman’s memory. Ernesto Rivera can be reached at

chiefcopyeditor@theorion.com or @ernestorivera on Twitter

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