19-year-old accused of sexually assaulting student in bathroom at North Texas high school
A 19-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a student in a bathroom at a North Texas high school after he gained unauthorized access to the campus, police said.
The sexual assault was reported about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Horn High School in Mesquite, according to a news release from Mesquite police.
Investigators learned that a student at the high school opened an exterior door, which allowed the suspect to bypass standard security procedures, police said.
Once he was inside the building, the suspect found the victim, who police said is a girl he knew. The man attacked her and used a weapon to force her into the bathroom where the sexual assault took place, according to the release.
A teacher saw the suspect in a hallway after the assault and tried to identify him, but he ran out of the building, school district officials said in a statement. The teacher reported the situation to a school resource officer.
The suspect is not a student at Horn High School. Police identified him as Synniaz Elijah. At about 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Mesquite police served a search warrant at the suspect’s home in Seagoville, where he was found and arrested. Elijah faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault, police said.
In a statement Mesquite ISD officials said, “Exterior doors are locked for a reason. There are only two authorized entrances for visitors to enter Horn High School. Any student who opens a door to an unauthorized person will face serious disciplinary action, as this compromises the security of our campus.”
“We are very grateful for the alert teacher who quickly recognized a potential security issue, our campus SROs, and the Mesquite Police Department for their immediate response,” the district’s statement said. “We are asking families to take this opportunity to talk to your children about the importance of immediately reporting any safety concerns to a teacher, administrator, SRO, or through our P3 Campus anonymous online reporting tool. If you see something, say something.”
