Sexual battery at The Boot, third incident linked to the bar this semester

A+woman+walks+by+The+Boot+Bar+and+Grill+while+people+mill+around+outside+on+Sept.+10.+The+Boot+is+the+site+of+a+recent+sexual+battery%2C+in+addition+to+the+starting+point+of+two+recent+sexual+assaults.+Photo+credit%3A+Andres+Fuentes

A woman walks by The Boot Bar and Grill while people mill around outside on Sept. 10. The Boot is the site of a recent sexual battery, in addition to the starting point of two recent sexual assaults. Photo credit: Andres Fuentes

Erin Snodgrass

After an incident of sexual battery occurred at The Boot Bar and Grill early Friday morning, Loyola police are once again warning students to be cautious.

In an email sent to the Loyola community, Chief of Police Todd Warren said the event was similar to the two previous incidents of sexual assault that were initiated at The Boot over the last four weeks.

On Friday, Sept. 20, around 3 a.m., the victim was approached by a man she didn’t know, fitting the description of the subject in the previous two assaults.

According to the email, he claimed to be a student, spoke Spanish to her, and then touched her without her consent, in a way that constituted sexual battery. She said she shoved him, hit him with her hand and walked away. A few minutes later, however, he attempted to separate her from her friends. She then left the bar and went home.

Police later learned that on the same night, another female at The Boot became incapacitated after drinking only one drink, which raised suspicion of her having been drugged, according to the email.

LUPD is cooperating with the Tulane Police Department and New Orleans police while the investigation is ongoing.

The description of the subject matches that of the previous two assaults that occurred on Aug. 24, and Sept. 5 respectively. In both incidents, the victims were approached by a man at The Boot and were taken to secondary locations where they were sexually assaulted.

The man is described as being of unknown race with light complexion, of average height and weight in his late teens to twenties. All three profiles described the man as having short, brown, curly hair, and speaking English with a Spanish accent.

Warren previously said the assaults could be connected and described The Boot as a “target-rich environment.”

The Boot could not be reached for a comment.

The email warned students who go to The Boot to watch out for their friends, never leave drinks unattended and immediately report any suspicious activity.