UCLA community on edge after 2 violent attacks on campus

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Thursday, December 5, 2019
UCLA community on edge after 2 violent attacks on campus
The UCLA campus is on edge after two separate violent attacks in recent days.

WESTWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- The UCLA campus is on edge after two separate violent attacks in recent days.

One incident was a sexual battery which was reported on Tuesday.

A female student told police a man approached her on campus around 2:15 a.m. and touched her inappropriately, then got into a car and fled.

She said she was walking to her residence when she was approached by the suspect near Covel Commons at 330 De Neve Drive.

A friend said the victim was walking from her dorm to catch an Uber when she was approached by the suspect.

"The guy came and grabbed her and was trying to take her to his car," said Evan Pickell, a friend of the victim. "She started screaming, fighting, punching the guy and he ended up letting her go."

She suffered head injuries and is now recovering, he said.

The suspect reportedly fled southbound in a silver four-door sedan on Charles E. Young Drive West towards Strathmore Plaza.

Surveillance video shows a man suspected in a sexual battery incident on the UCLA campus.

The suspect was described as an African-American man between the ages of 23 and 28 with light skin, short, black braided hair and thin build. He was also possibly wearing khaki or gray pants, according to police. He was not wearing a shirt and had tattoos around his body.

The other attack on campus occurred Nov. 27 around 2:20 a.m. Officials say a suspect struck a campus security guard on the head with an unknown object, knocking the victim unconscious. The suspect fled in an unknown direction.

The attack happened at Parking Structure 18 at 820 Westwood Plaza.

Officials say there is no indication the two attacks are connected.

Anyone with information is asked to call the UCLA Police Department Detective Unit at 310-825-1491.