SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Police in Spartanburg, South Carolina, say a man is in custody after a student at Converse University allegedly awoke to him standing in her room on Monday.
According to Spartanburg police, officers were called to Converse University shortly after 7 a.m. for a report of a suspicious person. At the university, officers were reportedly told by members of the campus safety team that a man, later identified as Dante Ludy, had entered a campus dorm building through a laundry room window.
The student told police that she woke up around 6 a.m. and found Ludy standing next to her bed. She said she yelled at him and asked what he was doing, but he did not respond.
The student reported the incident and Ludy was located and taken into custody by the Converse University’s campus safety team, who then turned him over to Spartanburg police. He was arrested and transported to the Spartanburg County Detention Center.
According to jail records, Ludy has been charged with trespassing and assault and battery. State records show Ludy has been arrested multiple times on indecent exposure charges in Greenville and Spartanburg counties since 2007, but the majority of those were dismissed.
He was convicted of indecent exposure in 2023 and given 30 months of probation. At the time of that offense, Ludy was on community release after serving five years of an eight-year sentence for attempted armed robbery. He was still on probation at the time of his arrest on Monday.
In a statement to Nexstar’s WSPA, Converse University said campus safety officials are conducting a full review of the incident with the Spartanburg Police Department.
“A campus-wide reminder is being sent to all students and staff emphasizing the importance of following residence hall access protocols and utilizing available safety features, including keeping all access points secured, not allowing unauthorized individuals into buildings, and promptly reporting suspicious activity. Converse will continue to work with the Spartanburg City Police as they proceed with their investigation,” said the university.
Despite the incident, students told WSPA that they feel safe on campus.
“I feel very safe as far as, like, campus wide stuff goes. I think that our officers do a pretty good job of making sure that we’re safe,” said Madison Davis, a senior at Converse University.