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A man who reportedly raped a woman on the Stanford University campus on Tuesday afternoon remains at large, the Stanford Department of Public Safety said in a campus alert.

The incident occurred near Wilbur Hall at 5 p.m. in an unspecified parking lot near the residence hall, according to the alert posted on the law enforcement agency's website. The crime was reported at 8:31 p.m.

"As required by law, a mandated reporter notified Stanford DPS that an adult female reported having been sexually assaulted (raped) by an adult male whose identity is not known to the victim," DPS said.

In an update released Wednesday, the department said the woman stated she was grabbed in the parking lot and taken to a restroom where she was raped. No further information about the restroom or where it was located was provided.

The man was described as Black and about 6 feet tall with a thin build, brown eyes and a faded beard. No description of his clothing was available, the Department of Public Safety said. The woman told the mandated reporter she had seen the man on campus before.

The Department of Public Safety asks anyone who was near Wilbur Hall around 5 p.m. Tuesday and has information related to the incident to contact the agency at 650-723-9633. People can provide photos or videos captured near the residence hall, particularly near parked cars, as well as observations.

Deputies arrest man who reportedly spat on people, had a knife

Earlier in the day at about 4 p.m., officers arrested a man who allegedly had a small knife.

Officers responded to reports that he was spitting on people at the intersection of Panama and Lasuen streets outside the Center for Turbulence Research. When they arrived, he was noncompliant. Two Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies assigned to the campus restrained him on the ground and he appeared to be "in a state of distress," according to a witness. He repeatedly asked for a lawyer.

Palo Alto police also initially responded to the incident and Fire Department personnel arrived to check on the man.

The man, a 33-year-old Tracy resident, is not affiliated with Stanford. He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and battery on an officer, in addition to an outstanding warrant. He was transported and booked in jail, department spokesperson Bill Larson said in an email.

Editor's note: The Pulse's policy is to withhold the names of those arrested for most crimes until the district attorney has determined there is sufficient evidence to file charges in the case. I Read our guidelines.

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Sue Dremann is a veteran journalist who joined the Palo Alto Weekly in 2001. She is an award-winning breaking news and general assignment reporter who also covers the regional environmental, health and...

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