SSU Police make arrest in sexual assault case

May 8, 2019
Sonoma State Police sign

(Rohnert Park) — A 21-year-old Sonoma State student was arrested today on suspicion of committing a sexual assault that occurred on campus in December.

On Dec. 8, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the University Police Department at Sonoma State received a report of sexual assault that occurred late on the evening of Dec. 7, 2018 in the university residential community. In the months that followed the initial report, University Police conducted an extensive investigation. With the conclusion of the investigation at the end of April, University Police obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect identified as Patrick James O’Regan, 21, a student at Sonoma State. Earlier today, O’Regan was arrested at the Sonoma County criminal courts complex in Santa Rosa on the arrest warrant, which included a single charge of rape.

The victim’s name in this case is being withheld to protect the individual’s identity given the nature of the crime and the investigation.

“The Sonoma State University Police Department strives to provide a safe environment in which our community can learn, live, work and visit,” said Sonoma State University Police Chief David Dougherty. “The University Police Department is committed to providing investigative services, ongoing support and resources to survivors of sexual assaults, and we would like to thank the members of the investigations unit within the District Attorney’s Office for their support in this investigation.”

For more information about the Sonoma State University Police Department, go to https://web.sonoma.edu/ps/about/.

ABOUT US: With a student population of 9,200, Sonoma State is a regionally serving public university committed to educational access and excellence. Guided by our core values and driven by a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, Sonoma State delivers high-quality education through innovative programs that leverage the economic, cultural and natural resources of the North Bay. See more news from SSU at http://news.sonoma.edu/  

Media Contact

David Dougherty