[UCLA. Photo Credit to Pexels]

On May 29th, a man was arrested by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) police department for a series of assaults on several UCLA female students. 

The man was later identified as Olumuyiwa Akindahunshi, a 29-year-old homeless individual who was not affiliated with the university. 

The day before Akindahunsi got arrested, he had committed another crime other than just physical violence. 

At 11:35 PM, he was seen on Bruin Walk, a central area of UCLA's campus, attempting to steal a female student's phone.

The student immediately reported Akindahunsi to the UCLA police department, but he had escaped the scene. 

While officers were on the lookout for him on campus, he had approached several other students in their dorms and halls to assault them.

Some of the locations he was spotted attacking these victims were De Neve Evergreen, Dykstra Hall, and Cedar Hall. 

His intentions were not clearly identified, but he used physical force in all incidents, and all the victims were found to be female.

Despite this, all of the victims either managed to escape independently or received help from others.

In one of the cases, a witness heard a female student crying for help in one of the campus halls and intervened. 

The witness then tried chasing Akindahunsi, but failed to catch him.

Following the incidents, police officers were able to later locate him near Parking Structure 8 and placed him under arrest.

Upon his apprehension, officers discovered that he was carrying zip ties, duct tape, and paracord.

Based on the evidence and circumstances surrounding the case, he was charged on three offenses by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department: robbery, kidnapping, and intent to commit a sex offense.

Additionally, his bail was set at approximately $2.3 million, and he was scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

Following these incidents, Ella Hernand, the president of the UCLA Panhellenic Council, expressed concern about student safety.

In an interview with the student newspaper, the Daily Bruin, she emphasized that incidents of harassment had become a serious concern near campus.

Hernand stated that “Instances of harassment seem to be more frequent in recent years and also this year.”

Consequently, sororities have strengthened their security measures and updated their safety guidelines.

Furthermore, Richard Mejia, UCLA's director of emergency communications, stated that the university was working to strengthen campus safety measures and improve overall security for students.

He further explained that the university was taking additional steps to address safety concerns raised by students and campus organizations.

According to Mejia, “UCPD conducts regular and directed patrols in the area, including increased evening presence.”

He also affirmed that the department continues to collaborate with campus partners, student leaders, and chapter stakeholders to address concerns and connect students with support.

Therefore, the security on campus has shown improvement overall.