Lake Forest College student charged with assaulting woman on campus, police say
A Lake Forest College student was charged with assaulting another student inside a campus dorm room on Friday.
Luca Vulpescu, 22, was charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery by strangulation and three misdemeanor counts of battery causing bodily harm, battery insulting/provoking contact, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Esmeralda Ramirez, 23, said she was traumatized by what happened. She said she was in a group study session at the Deerpath Hall dormitory on Tuesday, Feb 25., with Luca Vulpescu — who is also a student and a tutor at Lake Forest College.
Ramirez said she was trying to speak to another student when Vulpescu started groping her and put a knife to her throat, demanding sex.
She said she tried to get away — and when she did, he choked her, bruised her left and right arms and her left knee, and left a knife mark on her throat.
Ramirez said she was forced into unwanted activities.
Lake Forest police said Vulpescu was arrested on Friday, and charged with a felony count each of aggravated assault and strangulation, two felony counts of battery, and a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
"I don't think it was sufficient. No," said Ramirez. "He was going to kill me. I wasn't going to be here. I got extremely lucky."
Vulpescu appeared at a hearing Saturday at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan, where he was released with several conditions, including no contact with the victim and no travel outside of Illinois. He is also banned from the school's campus.
Police said the charges were non-detainable offenses. But Ramirez said she fears for her safety — because Vuplescu was released and because the campus is very accessible.
Vulpescu is due back in court on March 24.
Investigation into the incident remains ongoing.