WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A West Lafayette man was arrested on rape charges late Saturday night.
According to a press release from the West Lafayette Police Department, officers were called to the 100 block of South River Road around 11:57 p.m. on Friday to investigate a reported sexual assault. Upon arrival at the scene, police spoke with the victim of the alleged assault.
WLPD ultimately identified the assault suspect as 21-year-old Vincent F. Lembo of West Lafayette. Lembo was located by police at 9:50 p.m. Saturday.
Officers detained Lembo and transported him to the Tippecanoe County Jail after they found him. Lembo has been preliminarily charged with two counts of rape and one count of criminal confinement.
Police have forwarded Lembo’s case to the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office for review. TCPO will make official charging decisions at a later date.
Purdue’s directory confirms a Vincent Frye Lembo is a student at the university. The Purdue Exponent — the school’s student publication — posted a story that indicates Lembo is one of its employees. The story lists Lembo as the organization’s sports editor, a position the Exponent ultimately opted to remove him from following his arrest.
“Late this past weekend, we were made aware of an incident where a Purdue Exponent employee was arrested,” Exponent leadership wrote in a prepared statement. “While the accused is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, he has been suspended from his Exponent duties until further notice due to the serious nature of these accusations.
“We take these matters very seriously and will cooperate with local law enforcement and Purdue University through this process. And although we are awaiting additional details to be released, we will stay true to our commitment of open and honest journalism and will report updates about this case as we would with any other university student.”
The Exponent’s full statement is available here.
Rape is the most serious of the charges Lembo faces. In Indiana, the maximum penalty for a Level 3 Felony like rape is a 16-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.
Investigators are encouraging those with additional information on Lembo’s case to call WLPD at (765) 775-2500 or leave an anonymous tip by dialing (800) 78-CRIME.
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