One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
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.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
