The UC Santa Barbara Police Department is investigating an attempted sexual assault that reportedly took place near the Campus Lagoon on Sunday.

Around 9 p.m., a unknown man forced a woman to the ground and attempted to sexually assault her, the department shared in a community alert Monday evening.

The woman was able to escape, run away to safety, and reported the attack on Monday.

The suspect was described as an adult male and the woman reported that she didn’t know him. It’s unclear if the suspect is affiliated with UCSB.

UCPD is investigating the incident. Anyone with information can call UCPD at 805.893.3446, or report crime information anonymously here.

The department also shared the following safety information:

• 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.

Students, staff, and faculty can request a community safety officer to escort them when walking alone at night by calling 805.893.2000.