Monday, September 8th, 2008

UCPD arrests three suspects for alleged sexual assault in dorms

University police Friday arrested three suspects for sexual assault that allegedly occurred in the Fir Grove building of the De Neve on-campus housing complex Thursday morning, a spokeswoman said. Police responded Thursday afternoon to a call that a rape had taken place in the mid-morning hours of the day. After arriving on the scene, police initially made no arrests, but three suspects were listed in the UCPD’s crime log. After getting “good cooperation” from the victim and witnesses, police arrested three suspects within 24 hours of being contacted, said UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein. The suspects were put into custody following their arrest. All three suspects are juveniles, Greenstein said. Therefore, little information about them can be given out. None of the suspects are UCLA students, Greenstein said. Police are not looking for any other suspects in the case. Upon hearing about the arrest, students living on campus had different reactions. “I hope they arrested the right people,” said Kristen Jett, a second-year organismic biology, ecology and evolution student who lives in the Evergreen building of De Neve. Jett said she was not worried before she learned of the arrests because she has, what she calls, an “it-will-never-happen-to-me” complex. She said she was surprised when she learned of the assault because “living at UCLA is like being in a bubble,” and the recent event broke her sense of security. Shabnam Jahanjiri, a first-year undeclared student who lives in Hitch Suites, said she was also not worried after hearing about the reported rape, because “it seemed like an isolated incident.” Even so, Jahanjiri said it “definitely told us that we should watch out,” and added that she was glad for the victim that arrests were made. Other students displayed feelings of stronger concern. “We were pretty worried before, we took our names off our door and wouldn’t go out at night alone,” said second-year English student Jessica Tsukamoto, who lives in the Cedar building of De Neve. Tsukamoto said she feels safer now that arrests have been made, saying she can get back to focusing on studying because “it takes a lot of worry off.” In the end she said this incident was a learning experience. “The situation helped us to become more aware of our surroundings,” Tsukamoto said. Immediately after the report of the rape, students began to wonder if they were safe in their own private space. “I just don’t feel safe here anymore,” said Kimmi Greywal, a second-year business economics student who lives in the Fir building. “I feel safer in public places than I do in my own home now.” “We’re all shocked and mad. This is our home,” said Arisneh Ananin, a first-year math-economics and political science student, who lives in the Fir building. “For the first time all year, all of our doors are shut.” The individual De Neve buildings do not have the check-in desks other residence halls do. Non-residents can enter the buildings anytime without identifying themselves if someone who lives in the building lets them in. The UCPD still has a bulletin posted on its Web site and throughout on-campus housing. The bulletin asks students to: • Not let individuals they do not know into on-campus housing buildings. • Lock their doors when they are not in their room and when they go to sleep. • Contact housing officials or the UCPD, or dial 911 in an emergency,when they see anyone they do not recognize. The bulletin additionally said more specific information would be made available once detectives complete their interviews with the victim and others. Students living on the Hill said they would use extra caution after the assault. “I’m being very cautious about who I let into the dorm and I hope other people are too,” said Kristin Gatfield, a first-year political science student who lives in the Evergreen building of the De Neve complex. Erin Yee, a first-year world arts and cultures student, said she is taking extra caution and has taken her name tag off her dorm room door. “I’m more aware of things around me. I’m not paranoid, but worried,” she said.