(KNSI) – One of the two men suspected in the alleged rape of a student at St. Cloud State University in late 2024 has been arrested.
The St. Cloud Police Department put out a press release on Friday afternoon saying that Dipak Phayal was taken into custody in California on February 27th. The arrest occurred in Fremont, just north of San Jose in the bay area.
According to a criminal complaint, Phayal and Sujan Tamang met a female student in the lobby of her dorm about 2:00 a.m. on Halloween night. They rushed her into her room and got undressed with Phayal kissing and groping her as Tamang kept her from getting away. Tamang then accidentally put on Phayal’s clothes and reappeared on surveillance video in the dorm lobby to stand guard while Phayal remained in the room with the student. Both Phayal and Tamang’s DNA were discovered on her body during a forensic exam.
Investigators say Tamang and Phayal had inconsistent stories on what happened that night and couldn’t answer why the two switched clothing over the period of five to ten minutes.
A nationwide arrest warrant was issued earlier this week for the two men. As of now, Tamang’s whereabouts are still unknown.
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