Sexual Assault Victim Punches Assailant

A 22-year-old woman who was assaulted by a 6-foot-tall white male Saturday night turned around and punched him in the face after he grabbed her crotch. The UCSB student had been walking home about 9 p.m. along the 6600 block of Isla Vista’s Del Playa Drive when the dark-haired man came up behind her. He fell to the ground after she hit him; she went home and called police. The I.V. Foot Patrol asks for the community’s help in identifying the man; call (805) 681-4179. To avoid walking alone on campus or in I.V., call UCSB’s escort line at (805) 893-2000. Self-defense programs are offered by UCSB Police and the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center.