At 7:10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, a woman walking along Cliff Dr. near the Montecito St. and Rancheria St. intersection was approached by a man who requested her phone number, grabbed her several times and attempted to kiss her.

The suspect is described as a 18-24 year old Hispanic male, 5’5”-5’6” tall walking with a mountain bike. He wore blue jeans, a white t-shirt, black hat, and a black backpack.

After the assault occurred, the victim called the police, who are conducting an ongoing investigation. The Santa Barbara Police Department contacted campus security about the crime because of its close proximity to the school.

Campus security posted a “security alert” around campus and sent out an email to all students informing them of the sexual assault.

The original “security alert” contained the wrong day, stating the assault happened on Wednesday.The error was realised quickly and a new email was sent out containing the correct day.

In the alert, phone numbers for the police department and campus security office were provided for anyone who may have seen anything or know something about the incident.

Campus security provides an escort upon request to anyone who does not feel safe walking through campus.

“You can get an escort anytime,” said Director of Campus Security Erik Fricke. “We can escort you to the edge of campus or Pershing Park. Usually it’s just walking someone to their car at night.”

In the alert sent out by campus security officers, they advised people to take safety precautions such as walking in pairs, being aware of your surroundings, and keeping a cell phone ready to use close by in case of emergency.