Deputies are searching for a suspect in a reported robbery on campus Sunday night where a woman was robbed and assaulted while walking through the R2 parking lot.
On Oct. 29, at approximately 7:30 p.m., a woman was walking through parking lot R2 when she heard footsteps from behind, according to a crime bulletin released by the CSULB police department.
“She turned around and a white male, 20-30 years old, wearing a dark hoodie and pants said ‘Give me all your stuff,'” said the crime bulletin.
According to the bulletin, the suspect then proceeded to punch the victim in the face and stomach. The victim gave the suspect her wallet and AirPods.
The suspect was last seen running westbound towards 22 Acres, according to the bulletin.
According to UPD Chief of Police John Brockie, precautionary actions were taken after the incident.
“We increased our patrols in the housing area and R2 lot as a precaution in case the individual decides to come back,” Brockie said. “The biggest message I want to say is that if anyone has any information about the incident, please contact us.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact UPD Detectives by telephone at (562) 985-4101 or tip anonymously through the UPD Tip Line at (562) 985-0042.
Deputies request referring to the case as case #23-0690 when reporting.
In response to the incident, the UPD released the following tips within their bulletin:
- Consider carrying a personal alarm device or safety whistle to alert others in the area that you may need help.
- Walk in well-lit and well-traveled areas if possible. Always take the safest route available, not necessarily the quickest.
- Report any suspicious circumstances to UPD immediately. Dial or text 911 for emergencies and save the UPD non-emergency line to your cell phone (562) 985-4101.
- If you encounter the suspect, stay away and call 911 immediately or as soon as it is safe to do so.
This article was updated on Oct. 30, 2023 at 6:23 p.m. with quotes from UPD Chief of Police John Brockie.
On Nov. 1, 2023, UPD announced that the reported the assault and robbery was deemed false by campus police. The updated article about this situation can be found here.