USD basketball player arrested on rape charges

VERMILLION, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A University of South Dakota basketball player has been arrested and charged with rape.

The Clay County Jail records show that 20-year-old Mihai Carcoana was arrested on Friday and charged with 2nd-degree rape.

According to court documents, the victim was at Carcoana’s apartment and had asked her friends to pick her up before the abuse occurred. The victim said Carcoana pushed her to the bed, took her phone and dismissed calls from her friends, and then began raping her.

The victim said she tried to push Carcoana off of her, but there was a significant difference in the size between them. Carcoana’s height is listed as 6′11″ in his USD basketball profile.

Carcoana reportedly left in haste after the assault. The victim’s friends found her in the building after the assault took place. She told them what happened and then went to the Sanford Vermillion Emergency Room early Friday morning to make a report.

Representatives of the University of South Dakota responded to our request for a statement with the message below.

“The university cannot comment on student matters or active criminal investigations. The University of South Dakota issued a timely warning to the campus community as required under the Clery Act on Dec. 9 regarding a report of sexual assault on campus. USD takes allegations of sexual assault seriously and is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for students.”

Early Friday afternoon, representatives of the University of South Dakota sent an alert to students, reporting a sexual assault incident had taken place on campus.

Officers with the Vermillion Police Department say the investigation is ongoing and will release more information as it becomes available.

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