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UCLA On Alert After 7 Sexual Assaults
A suspect has been arrested in one of the assaults, but police are still searching for a man believed to have groped at least six women.
A sixth assault, in a series of incidents since early March, occurred on Wednesday, UCLA Police announced Friday. A man has been approaching women, usually distracted talking on their cell phones, and grabbing their crotches, according to a campus crime alert (.pdf). A pattern has developed, thus far, with all attacks occurring between 3:30 and 6:45 p.m. on Westwood Plaza between Charles E. Young Drive South and just south of Le Conte Avenue.
The suspect (seen right) is described as a Hispanic man with dark complexion and brown eyes and is approximately 40-60 years old, 5’3”-5’6”, 150-180 lbs, has a pot belly and wears various hats, such as a “farmers” or baseball hat.
A seventh and separate attack also occurred on March 31st, reported MyFoxLA. "In that assault, which occurred outside the Covel Commons building, the victim was returning from a party when a man forced her down on the groun in a wooded area, straddled her and pulled up her dress before abruptly stopping and leaving," the news station said.
UCLA student Thaddeus Ryan Staniforth, 25, of Fullerton, pleaded not guilty to charges on Tuesday.
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