UC Berkeley police investigate 4 sexual assaults on campus

Posted: Apr 11, 2023 / 05:37 AM PDT

Updated: Apr 11, 2023 / 08:23 AM PDT

BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) — UC Berkeley police believe three assaults in the past week may be connected. The last assault happened just hours ago as a young woman was walking to one of the residence halls on campus, according to UC Berkeley police.

“I normally walk around campus alone, and most of the time I’m a little scared, I carry pepper spray,” Naydian Beltran-Garcia, a UC Berkeley student, told KRON4. “So that made me really anxious.”

UC Berkley police released photos of the man they are looking regarding an assault that happened just after mid-night Tuesday morning. Police said a woman was walking near the Foothill Complex, which is a residence hall, when she said she was grabbed from behind and knocked to the floor. Officials said she fought back by kicking and was able to get away, but that suspect is still on the loose.

Police believe Tuesday morning’s incident is related to the three other sexual battery cases that happened last week. In all of those cases, the suspect grabbed a female student’s private body parts over their clothes.

The first happened last Wednesday, April 5, at the Eucalyptus Grove around 1:30 p.m.

The second happened last Saturday, April 8, at around 5:40 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. A woman was reportedly walking by Memorial Stadium when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her buttocks and breast. The suspect reportedly pushed her up against the wall, but the victim was able to push him away and get away.

The third incident happened this past Sunday, April 9, around 9:40 a.m. near Stephens Hall.