CAMPUS
A woman reported that a male she didn’t know grabbed her buttocks at Campus Point without her consent at 10:20 a.m. Sunday morning, according to UCSB Police Department. The UCSB Police Department is classifying this report as sexual battery and describes the suspect as a white male in his mid-to-late 20s, 5’11’’, and with short brown hair. The suspect was last seen walking west of Campus Point with a plain black bike. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446.
The UCSB Police Department released a timely warning on May 10 that a suspect was arrested and booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail in connection with a report of stalking made on May 8. UCPD made the arrest after conducting an investigation and contacting the suspect. According to the victim, the stalking took place on campus between July 2017 and May 2018, including following her in person and harassing emails. The suspect is known to the victim, who described him as a 19-year-old, 5’5”, and 130-lb Asian male with black hair who was affiliated with UCSB. The investigation is ongoing, according to UCSB spokesperson Andrea Estrada. If you have information that may be of assistance, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446. You can also report information anonymously at www.police.ucsb.edu/cotact-us/report-crime. The UCSB CARE Office provides confidential support and advocacy to students who have experience sexual assault, relationship abuse, and stalking. Call (805) 893-4613 anytime (24/7) for confidential help.
ISLA VISTA
Canvassers and organizers are making the rounds in Isla Vista this week as the June 5 election nears. On the ballot this year are Measure R, which would impose an eight percent tax on non-telecommunications utilities in Isla Vista; Measure T, which would impose a county tax on all operations related to cannabis; the District 37 Assemblymember seat currently held by Monique Limón; and the 24th Congressional District seat currently held by Salud Carbajal. The deadline to register to vote in the state is May 21.
COUNTY
Joyce Dudley, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney, announced Thursday that she was filing four counts of first degree murder against Joseph James DeAngelo, the retired cop purported to be the Golden State Killer. According to the Independent, this decision came two weeks after Ventura and Orange Counties filed their charges because of a “methodical process and review of evidence.” If convicted, DeAngelo could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
The commuter train between Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Goleta hosted fewer riders in April than previously projected, according to the Independent. “A software glitch” on-board caused the initial ridership to spike at an average of 186 weekly passengers, when the average number ranged from 94 to about 145 riders. So far, the average estimate from the first week of May is approximately 130 passengers.
STATE
Lawyers representing the University of California in a lawsuit against the Trump administration about the rescission of DACA said on a media teleconference call that the federal government failed to follow proper legislative rules when it announced the program’s end in September. On Tuesday, Jeffrey Davidson, a partner at Covington & Burling LLP, made oral arguments on the UC’s behalf in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pasadena.