UCSB Police issue warning about stalking incidents on North Hall Bus Loop

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – On Tuesday evening, UC Santa Barbara Police issued a warning about a stalking incident on an MTD bus over the weekend that matched an earlier report on the same route.

On Saturday, April 4, a woman was riding an MTD bus on the North Hall Bus Loop when a man in his 30s sat next to her and placed a backpack on his lap stated a Timely Warning from the UCSB Police Department.

The woman did not know the man noted the UCSB Police Department.

The man moved closer to the woman and began rubbing her thigh and when the bus arrived at the bus loop, she exited and the man followed her detailed the UCSB Police Department.

According to UCSB Police, the woman got the attention of people nearby and the man walked away and campus law enforcement shared that a similar report was received on January 20 of this year.

In the January incident, another woman was riding an MTD bus back toward North Hall Bus Loop when a man in his 20s or 30s sat next to her, placed a backpack on his lap, and began to touch her thigh and private areas without consent explained the UCSB Police Department.

At the time, the man was wearing a dark gray beanie, a black t-shirt, black sweatpants, and black shoes as well as a faded black backpack and he stands around 5'6" to 5'8" and weighs around 220 pounds shared the UCSB Police Department.

Neither woman knew the man added the UCSB Police Department.

If you have more information that might help in this or similar investigations, you are asked to contact the UCSB Police Department at 805-893-3446 or you can report the crime anonymously here.

If you feel unsafe, you can also call the UCSB Police Department's free CSO Safety Escort Program at 805-893-2000. More information about the program can be found here.