UCI Police Search For Campus Rapist

IRVINE, CA — University of California, Irvine police are warning the community as they search for a man suspected or raping a victim on campus last week.

The incident was reported at around 11 p.m. May 16 at Camino del Sol student housing and was reported the following evening, according to a crime alert authored by UCI Police Chief Liz Griffin.

"The reporting party was walking in the residential community when an unknown suspect forcefully pushed the reporting party on the ground and raped them," she said.

The suspect was described as a white man between the ages of 30 and 40 with a medium building, wearing a dark t-shirt and navy blue hat.

The man was also driving a dark-colored Acura, according to the victim. Campus officials provided the following safety tips:

• If you are going out alone, make sure that someone knows where you are going, who you will be with, and when you expect to return
• If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your feelings and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat, even if it is someone whom you know and even if it feels awkward to do so
• If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person
• You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation
• Dial 9-1-1 for emergency or in-progress events. Non-emergency call (949) 824-5223

Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the UCI Police Department at 949-824-5223.