A man walked into an unsecured residential room at Texas State University's Cypress Hall at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, triggering a burglary and indecent assault investigation that has campus police searching for a suspect they have not yet located. University police say officers responded quickly, combed the area, and found no one matching the description, leaving the case open as of Sunday night.
What University Police Say Happened
Texas State University Police said in a statement posted to X that officers responded to a report of a burglary and indecent assault at Cypress Hall on October 11, 2026, at approximately 7:30 a.m., after an individual entered an unsecured residential room. According to University Police at TXST, officers searched the area but the suspect was not located, and the investigation remains ongoing. As reported by CBS Austin, the department is investigating the reported burglary and indecent assault at the San Marcos residence hall, and officers said the incident began after someone entered an unlocked room at Cypress Hall.
Police described the suspect as a dark-complexioned man, approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a slim build, per KXAN. He was last seen wearing a dark bucket hat and a dark blanket over his shoulders, without shoes or socks, the station reported. University police officers searched the area near Cypress Hall following the report but did not find anyone matching that description.
No Charges, No Arrest Announced Yet
As of Sunday night, no arrest or charges had been announced in connection with the Cypress Hall incident, and university police have not released further details about the person who entered the room or the circumstances of the encounter. The department has said only that the investigation is ongoing. University police also noted that a victim is not responsible for a crime because of any action or inaction, according to the same statement relayed by CBS Austin.
A Campus Weighing Safety Numbers Against a New Scare
The Cypress Hall report comes months after Texas State released its 2025 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which covers Clery Act crime statistics for 2022 through 2024, according to Texas State University News. That report found the number of overall crimes investigated by campus police dropped from 201 in 2023 to 125 in 2024, a 38% decrease, though reports of burglary, fondling, motor vehicle theft, domestic violence, and weapons arrests all increased in the same period. The university attributed part of that 2024 total to delayed reporting, including 21 domestic-violence, 12 rape, and 9 fondling incidents tied to one interpersonal relationship that took place in 2021 but were not disclosed until 2024.
Texas State's report also noted the campus logged 3.09 investigated crimes per 10,000 students in 2024, a rate the university said was significantly lower than the 3.63 to 15.01 crimes per 10,000 students reported at the five largest Texas state universities. The university has pointed to its Safe Rides and Emergency Safe Rides programs, which provide more than 30,000 rides annually, as part of its broader safety infrastructure.
This is not the first time university police have investigated an alleged assault on the San Marcos campus. In an earlier case, a suspect was arrested, and police issued a timely warning to the campus community while increasing patrols in response, per KXAN's reporting. It has not been confirmed whether similar measures — a timely warning or increased patrols — have been put in place specifically for the Cypress Hall incident. Anyone with information about Sunday's report has been encouraged to contact university police as the investigation continues.
