Students don’t fear assault

Authorities are looking for a man who grabbed a woman’s chest while she passed him Sunday night on stairs near the school’s dorms.

The suspect is about 6-foot-2, white, in his late 30s or early 40s, heavy set with brown hair and was last seen wearing a white or beige short-sleeve, button-down shirt and blue or gray pants, according to police.

At about 11 p.m., the man grabbed the woman who was exiting Parking Lot 5, a small lot outside the school’s dorms that students say is generally well lit.

There were three cases of rape reported at UCI in 2007 and one sex offense case, according to the FBI. There was no category listed for sexual assault.

The school’s police department notified students immediately following the incident through its Zot Alert, the school’s emergency alert system that text messages students information during an emergency.

Some students living in the dorms said that while the incident is frightening, they will carry on with their everyday activities.

“It’s scary but I will get over it eventually,” 18-year-old Sandipa Sharna said.

“I am usually talking on the phone [when I walk at night] so I don’t feel completely alone,” Sharna said.

The UCI Police Department offers a campus safety escort service for students who want to be walked to their dorm or car, which can be reached at (949) 824-5223. Some students said despite knowing about the escort service, they feel safe enough on campus to avoid using it.

“I never did think about [sexual assaults],” 19-year-old Jenny Song said. “I don’t think it will change how I walk around campus.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident should call the UCI Police Department at (949) 824-5223.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].