ST. CLOUD – A 19-year-old student at St. John’s University is accused of raping a woman early Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 29 in Stearns County District Court.
Brian M. Kimithi, who was listed in court documents as a student and participant of the campus Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), was charged with one felony count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
On Friday morning, College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University President Brian Bruess sent a letter to students and families saying Kimithi is no longer an enrolled student.
“A no-trespassing order is in place for both the CSB and SJU campuses,” Bruess said, referring to the campuses in St. Joseph and Collegeville. “Once the individual was apprehended, there was no ongoing risk to the community.”
According to the complaint, just after 3 a.m. Tuesday, law enforcement responded to a report of a sexual assault at a residence on College Avenue S. in St. Joseph.
A woman told police she was sleeping and woke to Kimithi raping her; she said she tried to push him away and yell for help, but he grabbed her throat and began to choke her, the complaint states. He left after a few minutes, and the alleged victim alerted another woman, who called police.
Responding officers photographed scratches and bruising on the woman, according to the complaint.
At a hearing Thursday, Stearns County Judge William Cashman set Kimithi’s bail at $400,000 with no conditions and $200,000 with conditions that include him not leaving the state or contacting the woman.
