BREAKING: Police arrest suspect in relation to Sac State sexual assaults

Suspect is awaiting extradition in Germany

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Chris Woodard

Nida Muhammad Nyazi, 31, was arrested in Germany, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday. Nyazi is an alleged suspect in two sexual assault cases on campus from the fall. (Photo courtesy of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, graphic made in Canva by Chris Woodard)

Dominique Williams and Chris Woodard

The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in two sexual assaults of Sacramento State students in a press conference Thursday.

Nida Muhammad Nyazi, 31, was located in Germany, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department announced in a press conference Thursday. 

“[Nyazi] was apprehended by the German authorities,” FBI Special Agent Sean Ragan said. “That was based on the local warrant and also a federal warrant that we obtained for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Sac State Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Major Crime Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Sacramento Violent Crimes Task Force, according to Sheriff Jim Cooper.

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Sacramento State Chief of Police Chet Madison Jr. and Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper announce the arrest of Nida Muhammad Nyazi on Thursday. Nyazi is a suspect in two sexual assaults that occurred around Sac State last fall. (Dominique Williams)

The FBI’s international office has agents and personnel assigned in over 60 different locations around the world, one of them being Germany, Ragan said.

“[Nyazi] will be awaiting extradition back to the United States to face these charges and face justice,” Ragan said.

Two sexual assaults alleged to be connected to Nyazi were reported to police last year.

“On Sept. 20, 2022, our first survivor reported that the assault occurred on Aug. 21, 2022 in the Sacramento County jurisdiction,” Sac State Chief of Police Chet Madison Jr. said. “On Oct. 21, our second survivor reported that the assault occurred on Sept. 18, 2022 on campus.”

A Sacramento County judge issued a felony arrest warrant for Nyazi on Nov. 9, 2022, but police were unable to locate him after an attempt to execute the warrant at his home.

Both victims were Sac State students, Madison Jr. said.

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Nyazi identified himself to the victims as a Sac State student named “Zayn” but is not enrolled at the university, authorities said.

Madison said sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes and victims are very reluctant to come forward.

“There could be more [victims],” Cooper said. “If someone else is out there still and those individuals had contact with him, we want to hear from you if you were assaulted by him. It’s very important.”

Sac State Police is urging any possible additional survivors to contact them at (916) 278- 6000 or by email at [email protected]. Survivors can also contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office at (916) 874-5115

The State Hornet’s Gavin Hudson contributed to this story.