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Sexual assault report, October 19, 2025

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Under Investigation

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, 2025, an unknown male forced a female student to the ground on the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim was able to escape and run to safety. The UCSB Police Department issued a campuswide timely warning on the evening of Monday, October 20 after the victim reported the attack.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
University of California, Santa Barbara
Public R1 · CA
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Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim3093 chars
Content Warning: This timely warning includes descriptions of sexual violence. In an effort to promote campus safety and provide timely information to our campus community, the following information is being provided so that you can make informed decisions about your safety. We encourage all community members to care for their needs and well-being while reading this message, especially those who have been impacted by similar forms of violence. CARE provides free and confidential support and advocacy to students, staff, and faculty who have experienced sexual violence, including sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. Please call the 24/7 confidential phone line (805) 893-4613 any time to explore your rights, options, and support. CARE website: care.ucsb.edu Information about UCSB’s policies and support resources for sexual violence can be found at: https://titleix-dhp.ucsb.edu/ Attempted Sexual Assault Report This is a Timely Warning regarding a crime that occurred on campus property. On Monday, October 20, 2025, the UCSB Police Department received a report of an attempted sexual assault, that occurred on the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon. On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM, an unknown male forced the victim to the ground and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim was able to escape and run away to safety. The suspect is described as an adult male. The suspect is not known to the victim. It is unknown if the suspect is affiliated with campus. UCPD is investigating this crime. If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime. UCPD reminds the campus community of the following safety tips: Safety Tips • Perpetrators are responsible for sexual assault. Crime victims are never responsible for the behavior of perpetrators. • If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat, even if it feels awkward to leave. • If you are going out alone, make sure that someone knows where you are going, who you will be with, and when you expect to return. • If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation. UCPD shares these Safety Tips while recognizing that perpetrators, and not the victims or survivors, are solely responsible for their actions. The UCSB Police Department’s CSO Safety Escort Program is a free service provided to members of the UCSB community as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Call (805) 893-2000 to request a CSO escort. For more information: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/cso/cso-safety-escorts. **UCPD encourages printing and posting of this Timely Warning for further community notification.**
Verify this quote
UCSB Police Timely Warning - Attempted Sexual Assault (Oct 20, 2025)police.ucsb.edufind archived copies
Reconstructed; the UCSB Police Department published a timely warning on October 20, 2025, for an attempted sexual assault that occurred near the UCSB Lagoon at approximately 9:00 p.m. on October 19, 2025.
The UCSB Lagoon is a coastal lagoon on the western edge of the main campus that is a common site for student recreation; the Daily Nexus noted it has a documented history of sexual violence reports and poor lighting in some areas.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

Content Warning: This timely warning includes descriptions of sexual violence. In an effort to promote campus safety and provide timely information to our campus community, the following information is being provided so that you can make informed decisions about your safety. We encourage all community members to care for their needs and well-being while reading this message, especially those who have been impacted by similar forms of violence. CARE provides free and confidential support and advocacy to students, staff, and faculty who have experienced sexual violence, including sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking. Please call the 24/7 confidential phone line (805) 893-4613 any time to explore your rights, options, and support. CARE website: care.ucsb.edu Information about UCSB’s policies and support resources for sexual violence can be found at: https://titleix-dhp.ucsb.edu/ Attempted Sexual Assault Report This is a Timely Warning regarding a crime that occurred on campus property. On Monday, October 20, 2025, the UCSB Police Department received a report of an attempted sexual assault, that occurred on the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon. On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM, an unknown male forced the victim to the ground and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim was able to escape and run away to safety. The suspect is described as an adult male. The suspect is not known to the victim. It is unknown if the suspect is affiliated with campus. UCPD is investigating this crime. If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime. UCPD reminds the campus community of the following safety tips: Safety Tips • Perpetrators are responsible for sexual assault. Crime victims are never responsible for the behavior of perpetrators. • If you start to feel concerns about a person or a situation, trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat, even if it feels awkward to leave. • If you are going out alone, make sure that someone knows where you are going, who you will be with, and when you expect to return. • If you think someone is at risk of assault or abuse, you should consider it an emergency and act to support that person. You can call the police or ask for help from other people, intervene directly if safe, or create a distraction to help remove the potential victim from the situation. UCPD shares these Safety Tips while recognizing that perpetrators, and not the victims or survivors, are solely responsible for their actions. The UCSB Police Department’s CSO Safety Escort Program is a free service provided to members of the UCSB community as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Call (805) 893-2000 to request a CSO escort. For more information: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/cso/cso-safety-escorts. **UCPD encourages printing and posting of this Timely Warning for further community notification.**

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement the UCSB Police Department is explicitly named as the issuing authority of this Timely Warning.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD' explicitly.
    2. present: 'UCSB Police Department'/'UCPD' identifies issuing authority.
    3. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD'.
    4. present: Identifies 'UCSB Police Department' as the reporting authority.
    5. present: Issued by 'the UCSB Police Department'.
    6. present: From UCSB Police Department (UCPD), timely warning.
    7. present: States 'the UCSB Police Department' as investigating agency.
    8. present: Attributed to 'UCSB Police Department' and CARE.
    9. present: 'UCSB Police Department' identified.
    10. present: From 'UCSB Police Department' explicitly named
    11. present: 'UCSB Police Department' identifies the sender.
    12. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' as investigating authority.
    13. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD'.
    14. present: References 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD' throughout.
    15. present: From 'UCSB Police Department' explicitly named.
    16. present: References 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD' explicitly.
    17. present: Names the UCSB Police Department, UCPD, as the source.
    18. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' and 'UCPD'.
    19. present: Names 'UCSB Police Department' and 'CARE'.
    20. present: From 'UCSB Police Department (UCPD)'.
    21. present: From 'UCSB Police Department' (UCPD).
    22. present: Names UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    23. present: From 'UCSB Police Department' per timely warning text.
    24. present: 'UCSB Police Department' identifies sender.
    25. present: Names 'the UCSB Police Department' as issuing this Timely Warning.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement 'an attempted sexual assault' names a specific hazard.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault' where suspect 'forced the victim to the ground.'
    2. present: 'attempted sexual assault' named specifically.
    3. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault'.
    4. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault' specifically.
    5. present: Names 'an attempted sexual assault'.
    6. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault'.
    7. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault' specifically.
    8. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault'.
    9. present: 'attempted sexual assault' names the hazard.
    10. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault' specifically
    11. present: 'attempted sexual assault' names the specific hazard.
    12. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault'.
    13. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault'.
    14. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault' where suspect 'forced the victim to the ground'.
    15. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault' specifically.
    16. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault' specifically.
    17. present: States an attempted sexual assault as the hazard.
    18. present: Describes an 'attempted sexual assault'.
    19. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault'.
    20. present: Describes 'attempted sexual assault'.
    21. present: States 'attempted sexual assault'.
    22. present: Names 'attempted sexual assault'.
    23. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault'.
    24. present: 'attempted sexual assault' named.
    25. present: Describes 'an attempted sexual assault'.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon is a specific named location.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Names 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon.'
    2. present: 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon' given.
    3. present: States 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    4. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    5. present: States 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    6. present: Names grass area near the UCSB Lagoon.
    7. present: States 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    8. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    9. present: 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    10. present: States 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'
    11. present: 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon' is specific.
    12. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    13. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    14. present: Names 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    15. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    16. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    17. present: Names the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon.
    18. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    19. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    20. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    21. present: Names 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    22. present: Names grass area near UCSB Lagoon.
    23. present: Names 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
    24. present: 'grass area near the UCSB Lagoon' given.
    25. present: Names 'the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon'.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement the message provides concrete protective safety tips, including trusting instincts and removing oneself from a potential threat.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Provides tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible.'
    2. present: Safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself' instruct protective action.
    3. present: Provides safety tips like trusting instincts and removing oneself from potential threats.
    4. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    5. present: Gives safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    6. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    7. present: Advises 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat'.
    8. present: Advises 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible'.
    9. present: 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible from the potential threat.'
    10. present: Advises to 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible'
    11. present: Safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself' are protective guidance.
    12. present: Advises to 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    13. present: Lists safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    14. present: Provides safety tips including trusting instincts and requesting CSO safety escorts.
    15. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts' and how to seek help.
    16. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    17. present: Advises trusting instincts and removing yourself from a potential threat.
    18. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts' and to 'remove yourself... from the potential threat'.
    19. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    20. present: Gives safety tips such as 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    21. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
    22. present: Safety tips like trusting instincts and removing self from potential threat.
    23. present: Provides safety tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible'.
    24. present: 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself as quickly as possible'.
    25. present: Provides tips like 'trust your instincts and try to remove yourself'.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement the message gives a specific date and time, October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM.'
    2. present: 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM' given.
    3. present: Gives 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    4. present: States 'On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    5. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    6. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    7. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    8. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    9. present: 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    10. present: States 'On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'
    11. present: 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM' is specific.
    12. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    13. present: Gives 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    14. present: States 'On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    15. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    16. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    17. present: Gives the date and time, October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM.
    18. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    19. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    20. present: States 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    21. present: Gives 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    22. present: Gives 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    23. present: Gives date/time 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
    24. present: 'October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM' given.
    25. present: States 'On October 19, 2025 at approximately 9:00 PM'.
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement no forward-looking danger or consequence is stated, only a description of the past attempted assault from which the victim escaped.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No stated ongoing danger to recipients beyond describing the past attempted assault.
    2. absent: No stated further harm beyond the attempted act; victim escaped.
    3. absent: No stated ongoing danger or consequence beyond describing the crime.
    4. absent: No explicit statement of harm severity beyond describing the incident.
    5. absent: No stated consequence or severity beyond the described act.
    6. absent: No stated ongoing danger, only description of the attempted assault.
    7. absent: No stated potential harm to recipients beyond describing the attempted assault.
    8. absent: States victim 'was able to escape', no forward-looking consequence stated.
    9. absent: No consequence stated.
    10. absent: No stated forward-looking consequence or severity
    11. absent: No stated potential future harm beyond describing the incident.
    12. absent: No forward-looking stated harm beyond describing the assault itself.
    13. absent: No stated forward-looking danger beyond describing the attempted assault.
    14. absent: No stated potential harm to recipients beyond describing the attempted assault itself.
    15. absent: No stated severity beyond describing the assault; victim escaped.
    16. absent: No explicit statement of ongoing danger beyond describing the attempted assault.
    17. absent: No harm or severity beyond the assault itself is described.
    18. absent: No forward-looking statement of danger beyond describing the incident.
    19. absent: No stated severity or consequence beyond the act itself; victim escaped.
    20. absent: No stated potential harm beyond describing the crime itself.
    21. absent: No stated forward-looking harm or severity beyond describing the attempted assault.
    22. absent: No stated additional severity beyond describing the assault.
    23. absent: No stated danger beyond the description of the assault itself.
    24. absent: No stated potential harm/severity beyond describing the attempted assault.
    25. absent: No stated potential harm.

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19, 2025, an unknown man forced a female student to the ground on the grass area near the UCSB Lagoon -- a scenic but isolated coastal wetland on the western side of the main campus -- and attempted to sexually assault her. The victim was able to escape and fled to safety, reporting the attack to UCPD the following day. The UCSB Police Department issued a campuswide timely warning on Monday evening, October 20, describing the suspect as an adult male with no known campus affiliation. In November 2025, the Daily Nexus reported that students took action against the history of sexual violence near the lagoon, pushing for improved lighting and additional Student Safety Patrols (SSPs) in the area. The lagoon is a well-documented site of safety concerns, with student advocates noting that poor lighting and isolation create heightened risk. UCSB's SSPs conducted a campus safety walk in November 2025 to record areas of concern, including the lagoon area.
Outcome
The victim escaped and the suspect fled. UCPD initiated an investigation. The suspect remained unknown and unaffiliated status with the campus was undetermined. The incident sparked renewed student attention to lighting and safety conditions near the lagoon.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Timely Warning - Attempted Sexual Assault - UCSB Police Department
    police.ucsb.edu
    archived copy
  2. Student Paper
    Attempted sexual assault reported near lagoon - The Daily Nexus
    dailynexus.com
    archived copy
  3. News
    Attempted Sexual Assault Reported Near UC Santa Barbara Lagoon - Santa Barbara Independent
    independent.com
    archived copy
  4. Student Paper
    Students take action against history of sexual violence near lagoon - The Daily Nexus
    dailynexus.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of California, Santa Barbara: Sexual assault report, October 19, 2025." Incident of October 19, 2025. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/uc-santa-barbara-lagoon-attempted-sexual-assault-2025-10-19/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
sexual-assaulttimely-warningcaliforniasanta-barbaralagoonoutdoorclery-actcampus-lightingstudent-advocacyUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion