Mia Lara chased a man she believes sexually assaulted her friend at an off-campus University of Chicago fraternity party, an incident now under police investigation and captured in a widely shared video.
Mia Lara's first fraternity party ended dramatically when she chased a man she believes sexually assaulted her friend through Chicago streets. The alleged assault occurred last weekend at an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house near the University of Chicago and is now under investigation by both the university and Chicago Police. While no arrests have been made, a non-student person of interest has been identified and banned from campus. Lara, 21, and her friends, who do not attend UChicago, entered the off-campus party after their male friends were turned away. Around 1 a.m., a man allegedly focused on Lara's friend, who initially rejected his advances, referencing the Cornell incident. The two later disappeared after kissing. Lara found the man's friends cheering outside a basement bathroom. Breaking in, she discovered her friend partially clothed and distressed, while the man stood over her. Lara intervened, kicking the man until his friends pulled him out, then helped her friend get dressed and leave. Outside, the group of men pointed and laughed at the victim. Lara confronted the alleged assailant, who then fled with his friends, leading to a chase that Lara recorded, which went viral online. In the video, Lara accuses the man of assault, who responds, 'She wanted to.' A campus police officer witnessed the chase and was alerted. The victim later recounted that two men were in the bathroom, one pinning her down during the assault. She received treatment at the University of Chicago Hospital, where evidence was collected. Alpha Epsilon Pi stated no members were involved and cooperated with authorities, providing assistance to the victim. The University of Chicago has called the incident 'deeply concerning' and is supporting the victim and assisting the police, noting that student members of fraternities are subject to university policies. Lara expressed her anger that the assailant got away.
