Jack Alegre
Features Editor

A female University of California, Santa Barbara student fended off a male attacker in Isla Vista Saturday night after the man grabbed her crotch from behind while she was walking home on Del Playa Drive.

The student was approaching the intersection of Del Playa Drive and El Embarcadero when the assailant “came up from behind and grabbed at her through her clothing,” Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office (SBSO) spokesperson Kelly Hoover said in a release.

In response, the student turned and punched the perpetrator in the face, knocking him to the ground. She then returned home and contacted law enforcement.

The perpetrator, who is still at large, was described as a “college aged Caucasian male, about 6 feet tall with black hair,” who was “wearing a black shirt,” Hoover said.

A 2016 SBSO crime report released in May listed 56 reported sexual assaults, compared to 40 in 2015.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Isla Vista Foot Patrol at 805-681-4179. Anonymous callers can reach the Department at 805-681-4171.