An arrest warrant for 30-year-old Dawylan T. Hall was issued Thursday after an investigation by University Police into allegations that a man had on two separate occasions exposed himself while riding the campus buses. Credit: Courtesy of OSU Police Department
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man accused of exposing himself and masturbating on Campus Area Bus Services vehicles, University Police said.
An arrest warrant for 30-year-old Dawaylan T. Hall was issued after an investigation by University Police into allegations that a man had on two separate occasions exposed himself while riding the campus buses.
The incidents were reported to police on March 27 and March 31 by two different female CABS passengers, according to OSU Police reports.
OSU Police Chief Paul Denton said the warrant was issued after the department posted a picture of the suspect on social media and received tips identifying Hall.
“It’s a good demonstration of the strength of how social media works,” Denton said. “It was really good police work and a credit to our officers for being attentive to that and a credit to the victim for coming forward. There were a lot of factors that made this a good case.”
Franklin County Municipal Court online records indicate that Hall has been charged with public indecency on several occasions since 2004.
“The safety and security of passengers, and the entire university community, remains our number one priority,” said OSU spokesman Dan Hedman in an email. “Our drivers are aware of the reported incidents and have the communication capabilities to call OSU PD for assistance, if needed.”
Eric Vinyard, a second-year in philosophy and public affairs, said he thinks the open nature of CABS could contribute to incidents like these.
“The way it happened is understandable,” he said. “Since the CABS aren’t restricted and everyone can get on, you don’t have to be a student. It’s something that could happen.”
But Vinyard said he still feels safe on the buses.
“I think that it shows the trust that OSU puts into the surrounding community, so I still feel safe,” he said. “I don’t know if there is really much else that the university or anyone can really do to prevent that without obstructing the way we ride.”
Kirsten Robers, a first-year in political science, said she still plans to ride the CABS buses after this “isolated incident,” but added that she would reconsider if incidents like this were more prevalent.
“If I’m going to go on a bus and have to see that, it’s definitely going to impact how much I use it and how much I respect the system,” she said. “If I frequently saw something like that happening or even something of a different nature, I would definitely be disturbed and wouldn’t ride the bus.”
Denton said since a warrant has been issued, any police agency is now able to take Hall into custody.
Anyone with information related to the suspect or to this case is asked to call the OSU Police non-emergency line at 614-292-2121.
