A warning is issued for UCLA students after at least three students say they were threatened by a man. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 6, 2023.
At least two female UCLA students were assaulted by the same man Sunday near two campus parking structures, campus police said Monday.
The man approached the first woman around 4:30 p.m. Sunday near Parking Structure 1. He demanded money, attempted to kidnap the victim, held her hands together and refused to let go, authorities said.
The attacker claimed he had a gun, however, it wasn't immediately clear whether he was actually armed, police said.
The man approached the second victim around 6:45 p.m. Sunday near Parking Structure 7 and made similar threats, police said.
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In both cases, the victims were able to escape. One woman recounted the harrowing encounter.
“The entire time I was thinking about how I could escape the situation,” one of the women told NBCLA.
The woman was walking with a friend on campus Sunday evening when a man approached and blocked their path, she said.
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“He said, ‘You’re not going to go anywhere because if you do go I have a gun and I’m going to shoot you,” she said. “He’s like, ‘It’s my time to die soon, so what’s going to happen is you’re going to follow me into the woods, and I’m going to get my fix.’”
He threatened to shoot the women several times and punch them in the face.
“He grabbed my hand and pulled my fingers, and threatened to break my fingers off,” she said.
A passing car distracted the man and the women escaped, she said.
The attacker was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt with lettering and light blue jeans. During the second incident, the man was seen with a red/orange blanket.
