Man accused of luring UGA student with 'walk home' ruse before brutal assault: police

A 19-year-old man is accused of preying on a University of Georgia student in downtown Athens, allegedly offering to walk her home before forcing her behind a building and raping her, police said.

Athens-Clarke County Police officers responded just after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 to a report of a rape in the downtown area near the University of Georgia campus.

Investigators determined that Tydarius Wingfield, 19, of Athens, approached the female victim, a UGA student who did not know him, and offered to walk her home. 

During the encounter, Wingfield allegedly forced the woman behind a building, where he sexually assaulted her.

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Authorities say the department's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) played a key role in identifying the suspect. Investigators used downtown surveillance cameras to monitor the scene and track the movements of both the victim and Wingfield following the attack. Officers were able to follow Wingfield through the downtown area and positively identify him using the camera system.

Wingfield was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery, battery and rape. Jail records show he was denied bond and remains in custody.

The alleged assault comes as the university community continues to grapple with safety concerns following the 2024 high-profile murder of nursing student Laken Riley.

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On Feb. 22, 2024, 22-year-old Riley went for a morning jog on UGA's intramural fields and never returned. Authorities later found her unresponsive in a wooded area near the popular campus trails.

Prosecutors said Riley was killed during a violent struggle with Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan national who was in the United States illegally at the time. According to trial testimony, Ibarra spotted Riley running shortly after 9 a.m., attacked her, dragged her approximately 60 feet into a wooded area and repeatedly struck her in the head with a rock, killing her.

Ibarra was later convicted of Riley's murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He has since requested a new trial.

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Now, Riley's father, Jason Riley, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Gwinnett County State Court against the University System of Georgia and the owners of the apartment complex where Ibarra lived.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, Jason Riley is seeking $1 million in damages for the loss of his daughter's life and companionship. 

The suit, filed two years after her death, alleges the University System of Georgia failed to provide a safe environment in Athens and did not warn students after Ibarra was allegedly seen spying on someone at a UGA dorm on the same day Riley was killed.

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"Had defendant Board of Regents warned the public, the Athens community, and students such as Ms. Riley of the threat posed by Ibarra, Ibarra would not have had the opportunity to assault and murder Ms. Riley," the lawsuit states.

The complaint also alleges the university system failed to properly screen employees when it hired Ibarra's brother, who authorities said provided a fraudulent green card to obtain a temporary job in a UGA dining hall. It further claims the apartment complex where Ibarra lived did not adequately vet residents.

In statements to FOX 5 Atlanta, a UGA spokesperson said, "Out of respect for Laken and her family, we have no comment on the recently filed lawsuit." A University System of Georgia spokesperson added, "We do not comment on pending litigation."

Fox News Digital has reached out to UGA for additional comment.