Wayne State University: Alleged attempted abduction may be misunderstanding

DETROIT – Wayne State University said an attempted abduction report by a student appears to have been a misunderstanding.

The university reported earlier this week that a 35-year-old woman had her arm grabbed by a man in a minivan that had pulled up to her Monday night at the Cass Avenue and Putnam Street.

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The university said the woman had been waiting for an Uber ride and opened the minivan's door thinking it was her ride, but upon seeing three men inside, pushed away and the van took off.

The woman was interviewed by Local 4 and said she usually takes cabs after class to her home in Lansing.

On Wednesday, Michael Wright, chief of staff for the university's president, said campus police had determined that the minivan was in fact the correct Uber ride. However, the van did have a passenger inside, which is a violation of policy, according to the university.

"The police spoke with the Uber driver, who is being fully cooperative, and his passenger, who is equally cooperative. The driver and passenger both indicate that nothing unusual happened, and the car was observed on camera exiting the scene at a normal speed," the university's statement read.

The university is speaking with the student "in order to understand completely her perception of the events." 

Letter from Wayne State University

Dear campus community, 

Yesterday, media reports alleged that there was a possible attempt to abduct a student who was waiting for an Uber car on campus. The reports indicated that the student may have attempted to enter the wrong vehicle, and passengers inside this vehicle may have grabbed her arm and then left the scene.

Wayne State Police investigated immediately, and discovered that the car that pulled up to the student was in fact the Uber driver, and the vehicle fit the description that was given to the student. However, the Uber driver was accompanied by a passenger, which is a violation of Uber policy. 

The police spoke with the Uber driver, who is being fully cooperative, and his passenger, who is equally cooperative. The driver and passenger both indicate that nothing unusual happened, and the car was observed on camera exiting the scene at a normal speed. Police also continue to speak with the student in order to understand completely her perception of the events. 

To be sure everyone was apprised of a potential danger, we issued a campus message yesterday evening informing people of the incident. This message is to inform you that we do not think there is any danger stemming from this incident.

While it is always good to be aware of your surroundings, in this case there is no reason to be alarmed.

Regards,

Michael Wright

Chief of Staff

Office of the President

Wayne State University