SALT LAKE CITY — Students on the campus of the University of Utah felt a sense of relief Friday after Salt Lake City police announced the arrest of a man accused of stalking a student over several weeks.
"It had never been so close to me, like on campus, that could happen to anyone here, so definitely that hit close to home," said freshman Samantha Hicks.
On Wednesday, students received a notification to alert them of Oluwatobi Oludaisi Shokunbi, the man suspected of first stalking a woman at her off-campus apartment and a TRAX station before allegedly following her to a school dormitory.
Early Friday, police announced Shokunbi had been arrested in Salt Lake City and taken into custody where he faces stalking and lewdness charges.
"Unfortunately, in just our day and age, there is this kind of behavior that's out there, and certainly can't imagine for these victims or what they're feeling," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. "But the message we want to send out consistently is for whether a student or individuals, anybody who participates in this kind of behavior, when we have the evidence, we are going to file and aggressively pursue it."
Shokunbi, who goes by the name “King Rocky,” was also accused of undressing inside the apartment of two other women who were not students at the university.
"It was a bit creepy to be honest, just seeing that things like that are common, and we have to be alert of them daily," said student Lynette Suliafu.
University of Utah students say that even after receiving alerts such as those referencing Shokunbi, they feel safe on campus and are aware of what they can do if they find themselves in unsafe situations.
"Definitely calling campus security, the police, anyone who can help, will help," shared Hicks. "If you have the resources, call and let them know that you're in an unsafe situation and they can come and help."
Campus police advise students that if someone makes them feel uncomfortable, to maintain distance.
"And be observant," added Capt. Brian Lohrke. "When you're in your dorm room, make sure that you're only allowing people that are supposed to be in those restricted areas. But we always want people to remember these are just tips to keep yourself safe, but ultimately, the responsibility for a crime lies within the person that is committing it, and we like to hold those people responsible."
Shokunbi has been banned from campus and students hope to stay safe if similar situations occur again.
"I'm just glad that they updated us," said freshman Carmen Johnson, "and I still felt pretty safe, because they said that they had apprehended him and they let everyone know."
