Woman Fights Off Attempted Kidnapping at SoCal University

A female student fought off an attacker who attempted to kidnap her at a Southern California university Sunday, marking at least the third violent crime on campus in the last two months, police said.

In Sunday’s attack, the woman was outside Pfau Library at Cal State University, San Bernardino, when a man placed his right hand over her mouth and squeezed it shut, according to the University Police Department.

The man told her, "come on, let’s go for a ride in my car," police said. That’s when the student fought back by elbowing her attacker on the left side of his body.

The man immediately released her and ran northbound past a temporary classroom building and out of sight, police said.

The woman reported the incident to police just after 3 p.m.

The attacker was described as a man in his 20s, 5-foot-8-inches tall with a thin build. He had medium-length, dark-colored hair. He was wearing dark-colored shorts and a gray T-shirt.

It was unclear if the man was part of the campus community, police said.

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Students say that a spate of recent attacks has made them act more careful on campus.

"I actually do go to the library a lot, so I have been walking with friends or I just make sure I don't go alone," student Louisa Cabellos said.

Police officers from other California State University campuses have been brought in to help with the increase in violence, officials said.

On March 4, there was an attempted rape in the north stairwell of the same library, police said. The victim in that case was also a student, according to a flier distributed on campus.

On Feb. 23, a student sleeping inside his car, which was parked on the campus, was robbed and carjacked, police said.

Police have not said if any of the cases are connected.

Anyone with information was asked to call the university’s police at 909-537-5165.

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