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OREM — Police say a woman was raped in the Cinemark Theater parking lot at University Mall Sunday night, and are looking for the man she says did it.
That's in spite of an extra armed security presence at the theater at 1010 S. 800 East, in place after last week's theater shooting in Colorado. The theater had just hired one armed guard.
At around 9:15 P.M., police say the woman was headed to her car in the west side of the parking lot, between the theater and Costco. She encountered a man using a flashlight to look under the hood of his pickup truck. When she stopped and offered to help, he said ‘yes', and handed her the flashlight, according to police.
As she was holding the flashlight, he threw her head into the side of the truck, put her inside and raped her.
"This is unfortunate that this happened," said Orem Police Sgt. Craig Martiniez. "She was just trying to help him out and look what happened."
After the attack was over, the woman drove home. Police note the 24-hour delay of the woman reporting the crime, but Martinez says that's not unusual in rape cases.
"There was a delay on when it happened, and when it was reported," Martinez said. "But at least she reported it. Sometimes these crimes go unreported."
It was not initially known why she waited to report the crime.
The woman had gone to the movie theater with a friend, but that friend got sick during the show and left early, Martinez said.
The suspect is described as a white male, about 30 years old, 6'0" tall, medium build, blonde hair with a mustache, wearing a black shirt with an orange and yellow design, tight Wrangler jeans and black cowboy boots.
His vehicle is a full size Ford or Dodge truck, dark blue or dark green with a standard transmission and a musty interior smell.
Police are looking for any surveillance video that might be in surrounding businesses that could help with a description.
The movie theater was "pretty full" that night, the sergeant said. If there were any witnesses, they are asked to call police at 801-229-7070
Phone calls to Cinemark's corporate office in Texas to inquire about security in the parking lot have not yet been returned.
Contributing: Pat Reavy, Randall Jeppesen and Ashley Kewish.
