Disclaimer, this article contains mentions of sexual violence.
Over a week after a rape and strangulation that occured in UC Santa Barbara campus housing on May 9, the perpetrator remains at large.
The victim and perpetrator allegedly met at the Sigma Pi Fraternity house before the attack occurred at Tropicana Gardens. Courtesy The Channels
On May 14, Tyrone Maho, the attorney representing the victim — a first-year UCSB student referred to as “Jane Doe” — and her family, shared a statement with the Daily Nexus. According to Maho, Doe met the attacker at a party at the Sigma Pi fraternity house between 9:06-10:06 p.m. After, Doe was in the area of Embarcadero del Mar and Cervantes Road before reaching Tropicana Gardens around 10:36 p.m. There, Doe was assaulted and called 911 at around 11:00 p.m.
Maho and Private Investigator Michael Claytor hosted a press conference at Tropicana Gardens on May 14 where they asked for the public’s assistance with the investigation. Maho said that they have called on Chancellor Dennis Assanis to request the help of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, but he has not yet responded at the time of this article’s publication.
According to an email from UCSB media spokesperson Kiki Reyes, the UCSB campus legal counsel “responded multiple times” to Maho’s request and “UCPD has been in direct contact with the survivor’s family since the early stages of the investigation.”
“Federal law and university policy prevent us from discussing specifics of a case,” the email read. “We remain fully committed to protecting the privacy of the survivor and their family while providing them with continuous support and resources.”
UCSB Police Department is actively investigating this crime and urges anyone who may have information that might assist its investigation to contact UCSB Police Department at 805-893-3446, or report the information anonymously on their website.
The Nexus will continue to report on this topic as more information becomes available.
A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the May 21 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
