A recent series of reported sexual batteries near USC has prompted warnings from both campus officials and Los Angeles police.
The university’s Department of Public Safety sent out a crime alert last Thursday warning students that several females had reported having their buttocks grabbed or slapped near the campus between Feb. 27 and March 11.
The sexual batteries all occurred in the University Park area, including two in front of separate sorority houses located on 28th Street, according to the alert.
At least five of the incidents were believed to have been connected to at least one person.
They have been similar in nature, according to another crime alert issued by the Los Angeles Police Department.
“Basically we have a male suspect who’s running around jogging, and what he does is he approaches females from behind and he grabs their buttocks area. He either firmly grabs them or slaps them, and continues jogging,” LAPD Det. Angelica Guzman said in an interview.
Some victims reported the male was riding a BMX bike, according to the USC crime alert.
Investigators have indicated it was also a possibility that the gropings were being perpetrated by a group of people working together.
The series of sexual batteries have some USC students on edge.
“Honestly, it’s really terrifying because I do walk around here later at night,” one female told KTLA.
Authorities have also expressed concern that the assaults could potentially become more serious or violent in nature if the person or people are not caught soon.
LAPD has released two separate sketches of the same person with the hope that the public can help locate him.
He is described by police as being possibly Asian or Hispanic, standing between 5 feet 8 and 6-feet tall, weighing around 140 to 160 pounds, and having black short “spiked” hair, the LAPD alert stated.
Anyone with information was urged to call Det. Daniel Gonzales with LAPD’s Southwest Sexual Assault Team at 323-290-2975. After hours, tipsters are encouraged to leave information at the division’s front desk by calling 213-485-2582.
KTLA’s Kimbery Cheng contributed to this story.
