BEAUMONT, Texas — Students at Lamar University were shocked after incidents involving a 21-year-old Beaumont man led to a campus emergency Tuesday.
Devonta Joubert is accused of trying to solicit women in Lamar University parking lots. He is charged with reckless driving and evading arrest in a vehicle, with charges for the alleged solicitation pending.
Joubert is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail on bonds totaling $80,000.
"I was very scared," a university student said. "I always felt that Lamar University was a super safe campus."
The incidents happened on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 in numerous university parking lots, on the second day of classes. One woman said Joubert tried to solicit money for sexual favors.
Another woman claims Joubert approached her, offering to help her find her car. She said she got in his car, and he later exposed himself to her. She went straight to campus police.
Joubert was caught less than two hours later, following a brief chase in the neighborhood near the campus.
The incidents left university students shocked and spooked. Students such as Lamar University freshman Amani Booth feel situations such as Tuesday's make it scary to be a woman on campus.
“Targeted, because one it was," Booth said. "We got the e-mail, and I was at lunch. It had said that there was a guy, you know, picking up young females."
Monica Ryan is the police chief at Lamar University. Ryan expressed how proud she was of university police for their quick response in detaining Joubert.
"My officers located the vehicle, and as he pursued to make the traffic stop, the suspect fled," Chief Ryan said. "A pursuit instilled, and we ended up getting him stopped and arrested him on evading arrest. I am very proud of my guys and girls. They did really well, and they took action quickly, which actually helped capture the suspect in a timely manner.”
The timely manner of the arrest coupled with the alerts and updates from the university brought comfort to some students.
“They had the suspect in custody, which I appreciated how they handled that situation so quickly,” a university student said.
If Joubert can make bond, he will be required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and cannot go back to Lamar University or any private or public school facility in Jefferson County. He also has to stay in Jefferson County.
Joubert has been arrested nine times, making the Tuesday arrest his tenth.
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