Students and community members quietly gathered for a vigil Tuesday night in Isla Vista as an unsolved rape and strangulation near UC Santa Barbara continues to spark fear and frustration across campus.
Photos from the gathering at Greek Park show small groups gathering as daylight faded, with attendees clustering in circles along paved paths.
Many stood quietly in hoodies and jackets, hands folded or arms crossed as they listened.
The gathering comes amid growing concern following an alleged rape and strangulation near the University of California, Santa Barbara that has left students shaken while investigators continue searching for a suspect who has not been identified.
According to UCSB’s campus newspaper the Daily Nexus, university students first received an alert on May 10 at around 10 p.m. reporting a “rape and strangulation” on campus property.
The alleged assault is believed to have occurred on May 9.
Investigators say the victim and an unidentified suspect met at a party in Isla Vista, the nearby college town surrounding the university, and did not know each other beforehand.
Authorities have not identified the suspect and the case remains unsolved days after the incident, adding to anxiety within the campus community.
As concern continues to build, the victim’s family has stepped forward publicly, urging expanded law enforcement involvement.
Through their attorney, they are calling on university officials to bring in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, arguing that additional resources and broader investigative experience are needed to help track down the attacker.
The family has also raised concerns about whether the UCSB Police Department has sufficient resources to fully handle the investigation on its own.
They have cited fears of mishandling and referenced concerns tied to a previous student death last year as part of their push for outside assistance.
To assist in the effort, the family has retained attorney Tyrone Maho and private investigator Michael Claytor as they seek answers and accountability while the investigation continues with limited public updates.
The California Post reached out to the family’s attorney but did not hear back.
“Our singular focus remains seeing this monster behind bars,” the victim’s parents previously told The Post.
Attorney Maho described the family’s current uncertainty, saying, “The family has more questions than answers right now,” in an interview.
The family is now pressing for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to formally join the investigation, arguing that a larger agency with broader jurisdiction and resources is necessary to help bring the suspect into custody.
At the vigil, attendees stood together in the cooling evening air as candles were raised and the last light of day slipped away over Isla Vista.
The gathering served both as a show of support for the survivor and a public call for accountability in a case that continues to unsettle the campus community.
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