UCSB Gang Rape Gets Massive Publicity & Police Effort

UCSB Gang Rape Gets Massive Publicity & Police Effort

Santa Barbara – Daily media updates by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Kelly Hoover point to the fact that the UCSB student body as well as citizens of Isla Vista, Goleta, and Santa Barbara are outraged and demanding law enforcement action pursuant to the reported gang rape of a university coed during the late-night hours of February 22nd as she walked from campus to her Isla Vista residence.

The unidentified 19 year-old victim, according to Hoover’s initial report “was able to return home to notify her roommate and authorities…and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries.”  Subsequent reports identified her assailants as three Asian males, but since that time SBSD detectives have been unable to locate any possible suspects.

It was not until two days following the attack that SBSD investigators dispatched detectives to work in concert with UCSB Police Officers, Isla Vista Foot Patrol Officers, and members of the County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team to search for any evidence at the scene of the reported attack.  According to Hoover, these teams conducted a widespread area search to “canvas the area for any evidence that may assist with the investigation.”   Two days later, according to UCSB Police Sgt. Rob Romero, detectives found “a personal item belonging to the victim, as well as items that may belong to her attackers.”

That discovery puts considerable weight upon the shoulders of UCSB administrators, who, Romero indicated, have “increased police patrols on campus and will be taking immediate steps to improve security.”  The politically-sensitive nature of this crime on a campus that has seen more than two dozen violent episodes within the past year, inspired no less a figure than Chancellor Henry Yang to reach out via email to his student body and staff declaring “Our campus community has been deeply shaken by the violent sexual assault on a UCSB student on our campus this past weekend, as well as other recent sexual assaults that have been reported in Isla Vista.”

That redundant message, along with assurances of an increase in campus law enforcement staffing, somewhat akin to barring the door after the horses have fled the barn, may assuage some fears but has not brought the offenders any closer to justice.

With a dearth of actionable information at hand, local area law enforcement agencies are conducting a public outreach for any information that may lead to the identity of the much-sought-after perpetrators, and have widely published artist’s renderings of a pair of suspects, with local media outlets plastering them on front pages as “wanted” posters.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Anonymous Tip Line at (805) 681-4171.

Read More:

LATIMES: UC Santa Barbara gang rape; search and rescue teinvestigation

NY Daily News: UCSB campus on alert after weekend gang rape

 

 

UCSB Gang Rape Gets Massive Publicity & Police Effort was last modified: March 3rd, 2014 by admin
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