Another sexual assault was reported in Isla Vista on Sunday — the second in two days. This time, authorities say multiple suspects were involved in the brutal attack.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department officials said Sunday morning that a 19-year-old female UC Santa Barbara student reported being severely beaten and raped by multiple men sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday.
The suspects were described as a group of Asian male adults, but no other information about the suspects has been released.
The crimes occurred somewhere between the UCSB campus and Isla Vista, and investigators were working Sunday to determine exactly where they happened, sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said.
Following the attack, Hoover said, the victim was able to return home to her Isla Vista residence and notify her roommate and authorities. The woman was transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of her injuries and an examination.
On Sunday, sheriff’s deputies, a K-9 unit and UCSB police were searching Isla Vista and the campus in an attempt to find the crime scene and discover information that will help identify and locate the suspects, Hoover said.
The attack was the second reported in Isla Vista over the weekend.
Since early Saturday, authorities have been searching for a suspect who allegedly assaulted a woman outside a party in the 6500 block of Del Playa Drive. The man was described as being 5-foot-6-inches tall with a thin build, dark hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about either attack or any other crime is asked to contact UCSB police at 805.893.3446, or click here for the sheriff’s confidential tip line.
UCSB police reminded students and others that emergency phones marked with a blue light are located throughout the campus. Students also can call a CSO Escort to accompany them around campus and to and from Isla Vista locations. Call 805.893.2000 for assistance.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.