CINCINNATI — A Xavier University residence hall flooded after university officials said a woman hiding out in a maintenance closet burst a water pipe.
As of Friday afternoon, university officials did not know how this woman was able to get into the dorm.
“Something happened in the boiler room to where it caused the whole floor to just, like, flood,” said Denahi Rogers, who lives in Husman Hall.
Some 4th floor residents said they heard a loud noise in the hall.
"We’re like 'what is going on?' We look out and there's just water rushing down the hallway,” said Husman Hall resident, Julia Leon.
"We went downstairs and there was just water coming into the RA desk from the ceiling, pouring down into the RA desk," said another resident, Abbey English.
Xavier officials said the flooding happened after a water pipe burst.
"We found out that there was a lady in the boiler room, completely naked. She tried to take a shower and broke a pipe,” English said. “We were talking to some other people, and they said she was in the lounge, with a towel wrapped around her while police were searching through her bags.”
It’s unclear how long the woman had been in the building before the incident.
“She might have been living there, we don't know," said Leon.
University officials said the flooding caused damage to 12 rooms in Husman Hall.
They have fans and dehumidifiers to try to dry out the rooms that are still wet.
Xavier police arrested the woman for criminal trespassing.
“We don't know when she got in or how long she lived here, we also don't know why she was in the boiler room," Rogers said.
Some parents wanted to know what the university is doing to make sure people can't access the building in the future.
A university spokesperson declined to speak with WCPO on camera but provided a statement saying in part, "Our residence halls lock 24-hours a day and only residents of that building can unlock the exterior door.”
The university wants to remind students: If they see something, say something.
"As long as people aren't just letting in random people, I think we won't have a problem like this again,” Rogers said.
Xavier police are reviewing surveillance video to determine how the woman got into the building.
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