The parents of a student from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) are urgently appealing for external assistance in the investigation of their child’s alleged rape and strangulation near campus. The suspect remains unidentified days after the shocking incident.
The family, represented by their attorney, is calling on university officials to seek help from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department for the ongoing probe into the alleged crime that has deeply unsettled the UCSB community.
“We urge the chancellor to request the involvement of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department to aid in capturing this individual,” stated the family’s lawyer, Tyrone Maho, in a statement released to local news station KEYT on behalf of the victim’s parents.
Maho acknowledged that the university police are committed to solving the case, but insisted that a larger law enforcement agency with more extensive resources could provide crucial support.
“I believe they genuinely want to apprehend this person; we are merely asking for additional assistance,” he explained. “The Sheriff’s Department has the size, capability, and experience necessary for such an investigation.”
These renewed appeals for action follow a notification sent to UCSB students on May 10 regarding a reported “rape and strangulation” allegedly taking place on campus property around 10 p.m.
According to previous reporting, the victim and suspect met earlier that evening at a party in Isla Vista, the college town adjacent to the university, and did not know each other before the incident.
The familyâs private investigator, Michael Claytor, is also encouraging anyone who may have seen suspicious activity that night to come forward, even if they believe the information is minor.
âRemember it might be enough to say I saw this and they can then put the pieces together themselves they are not going to need to use you to testify,â Claytor said. âGive them what is important and let them do the rest.â
In a statement, the UC Police Department defended its handling of the investigation while citing privacy restrictions that prevent officials from discussing specific details publicly.
âFederal law and university policy prevent us from discussing specifics of a case, but the campus has robust resources that are available to support survivors of sexual violence,â the department said.
The department added that reports of crimes on university property âare fully investigated by sworn officers of the UCPDâ and noted that the agency is âP.O.S.T. certified and accredited,â including by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
The suspect has not been publicly identified, fueling anxiety among students already rattled by the violent nature of the alleged crime.
âI feel safe in my dorm, because Iâve never had any issues there, but because Iâm always out with my friends in IV, that feels a little sketchy,â student Adora Mina previously told local outlet KSBY.
ââRape and strangulationâ on a university campus â so I checked the email, and they released no other information on who he was,â she added.
Officials also said campus police âwork closely with the Sheriffâs Office and the Santa Barbara District Attorneyâs Office as appropriateâ and stressed that the case âis currently under active investigation.â
According to the university police statement, investigators have been in contact with the victimâs family âfrom the early stages of the investigation,â and university officials said they have responded multiple times to an attorney representing the student and her parents.
The alleged attack has reignited concerns about campus safety at UCSB, which was recently ranked the No. 1 party school in the nation. The Daily Nexus, the campus newspaper, previously reported that incidents involving rape, dating violence and stalking have risen since 2022.
Meanwhile, university officials continue urging students and anyone with information about the alleged assault to contact investigators.
