Attempted Abduction and Sexual Assault Alleged at UC Santa Barbara

A UC Santa Barbara student reported she had escaped an attempted abduction on Saturday night at the Labyrinth, a small walking trail between Campus Point and the Manzanita dormitories, law enforcement officials reported.

Students were alerted via email at 9:31 p.m. on April 20 that a crime was in progress and were advised to avoid the area. Ten minutes later, a second email identified the incident to be an attempted abduction. The suspect, also accused of attempted sexual assault during the incident, is described as a 5’6″ Hispanic man of stocky build between 170 and 200 pounds. At the time, he was wearing all black, including black gloves and a black face mask.

“UCPD is actively investigating the case and is providing increased high-visibility patrols with police officers and student safety partners on campus,” said Kiki Reyes, media relations manager for UCSB, on behalf of campus police. “The campus encourages students to reach out to the CSO Safety Escort Service at (805) 893-2000 if they feel unsafe or unsafe or uncomfortable walking alone.”

The campus is not unfamiliar with attempted kidnappings. In 2022, a 30-year-old Port Hueneme resident was arrested following a string of sexual assaults and attempted kidnappings in the Isla Vista area. To protect students, the UCSB Associated Students Safe Transportation program provided reimbursements for rideshare services going to and from campus at night before the suspect was in custody.

Reyes did not respond to the question of whether or not the university would implement similar measures in light of the most recent incident.

Members of the public are encouraged to contact the UCSB Police at (805) 893-3446 if they have any information.