UCSB police are investigating a stalking and fondling incident reported on campus this week.
Police say it was reported to have happened on Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. along a paved access road located between Slough Road and West Campus Lane on West Campus.
The person reported that they were on the access road when a man rode past on a bike.
“Over the next 15 minutes, the suspect approached the victim from behind three separate times, asking questions the first two times, and striking the victim on the buttocks the third time before fleeing,” campus police said in an alert posted Thursday morning.
Police say the man was last seen in the area of Tierra De Fortuna Park and that the alleged victim does not know the man.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the UCSB police department at (805) 893-3446. Anonymous tips can be provided by clicking here.
Campus police shared the following safety tips:
- If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat, even if it feels awkward to leave.
- If you are going out alone, make sure that someone knows where you are going, who you will be with, and when you expect to return.
- If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation.
- If you feel you are being followed, try to get the attention of people nearby, run/walk to a well-lit and/or more populated area, and call 9-1-1 to ask for help.
UCSB also has a free Safety Escort Program available to the campus community to help anyone walking alone at night get to their destination safely.
To request a CSO escort, call (805) 893-2000. For more information on the program, click here.
