Kevin Ruiz. Photo courtesy of Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

A 21-year-old UCSB student was stabbed at the house of Sigma Chi Omega on the 6700 block of Sueno Road in Isla Vista about 2:45 a.m, following an altercation just outside the house.

Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Kevin Ruiz of Reseda, California, who according to fraternity officials had no prior connections to the organization. The victim sustained knife injuries to the chest and head and was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment, where he is currently stable. Following the incident, Ruiz was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, a felony subject to up to four years in state prison and a maximum $10,000 fine, and bail has been set at $30,000.

Sigma Chi Omega president and third-year psychology and economics major Jason Ouyang said Ruiz was heavily intoxicated and was accompanied by a “female accomplice,” both of whom approached the fraternity and demanded entry to a private gathering at the house.

“We were having a small get-together, ourselves and our friends, and this person was not allowed entry into our house,” Ouyang said. “The guy was very aggressive and probably under the influence of alcohol … my brothers wouldn’t let him come in and he took that very personally and he tried to start a fight … he pulled out some sort of weapon and gave him a couple lacerations.”

Sheriff’s Office officials denied requests for additional information on the incident.

Ouyang said the incident was unprecedented and the fraternity never has issues keeping people from coming into private gatherings.

“In this situation I guess that person wasn’t gonna take no for an answer,” Ouyang said. “Usually there’s never problems like this; this is the very first time something to this has occurred — its a little traumatizing.”

According to Ouyang, the fraternity would gather in the next few days to assess the situation and focus on the group.

“We’re all just kinda shaken by it but at the same time we can’t let that deter us,” Ouyang said.

Sigma Chi Omega is a multicultural social fraternity and part of the Multicultural Greek Council on campus.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone with information contact Isla Vista Foot Patrol investigators at (805) 683-2724, or in person at the Isla Vista Foot Patrol office, located at 6504 Trigo Road. Anonymous tips can also be provided via telephone, at (805) 681-4171.