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Another sexual assault suspect is being sought at America’s top party school.
The University of California Santa Barbara police have issued a second campus-wide warning in less than two months after a woman reported being stalked and groped in broad daylight, as detectives continue searching for the suspect in the brutal rape and strangulation of an 18-year-old freshman reported in May.
According to a campus-wide Timely Warning, the latest incident unfolded around 11:30 a.m. on June 24 as the victim walked along a paved access road on UCSB’s West Campus.
Police said a man riding a bicycle passed the victim before circling back multiple times over the next 15 minutes.
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During the first two encounters, he stopped to ask questions. On the third pass, investigators said he approached the victim from behind, groped her and fled toward nearby Tierra De Fortuna Park.
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The suspect is described as a Hispanic or Middle Eastern man, about 35 years old, approximately 5-foot-8 with a thin build, shaved head, brown eyes and scruffy facial hair. He was wearing a gray tank top or cut-off T-shirt, shorts and a black backpack while riding a bicycle. Police said he was not known to the victim.
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The warning is the second issued by UCSB police since May, when an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a Sigma Pi fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
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That investigation remains unsolved.
Days after the attack, the survivor’s family, through attorney Tyrone Maho, publicly appealed for witnesses to come forward, saying anyone who attended the Sigma Pi fraternity party or was near Tropicana Gardens on the night of May 9 could hold critical information.
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The family also urged the chancellor to ask the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to take over the investigation, arguing the attacker remained “a potential threat to our community,” while expressing gratitude for the work already done by UC Santa Barbara police.
The May attack prompted a candlelight vigil, where students gathered to support the survivor and voice concerns about campus safety.
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UC Santa Barbara has been ranked the nation’s top party school by Niche for the past two years.
Campus crime data also show the university has recorded more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, according to its Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports. The reports also show increases in other reported crimes in recent years, including weapons arrests and burglaries.
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In a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital following the May attack, UC Santa Barbara police said federal law limits what officials can disclose about active investigations but emphasized that reports of crimes on university property are fully investigated by sworn officers.
The department said it has remained in direct contact with the survivor’s family and works closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office when appropriate.
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Investigators are asking anyone with information about the June 24 incident to contact the UC Santa Barbara Police Department.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the UCSB Police Department for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Kelsie Cairns contributed to this report.
Read the full article here
