The family of a coed who was allegedly raped and throttled at UC Santa Barbara is worried that clues leading authorities to her attacker could vanish when students leave campus for the summer.
Attorney Tyrone Maho, who represents the 18-year-old freshman’s family, said police have yet to make an arrest in the horrific attack that has sent shockwaves of fear and frustration across the campus of America’s top party college.
And with classes ending next week, Maho said the family believes evidence leading to the perpetrator could disappear.
“We’re very concerned that school is almost out for the year, and therefore there are going to be a lot of people, witnesses, including possibly the suspect as well, that may be leaving the community,” Maho said.
The coed’s family is distressed that an arrest has yet to be made in the case, Maho added.
“They’re very concerned,” he said.
The alleged assault is believed to have occurred on May 9 after the victim and an unidentified suspect met at Sigma Pi fraternity party in Isla Vista, the nearby college town surrounding the university.
According to Maho, the coed left the party at about 10 p.m. and was seen with her alleged attacker at the Tropicana Gardens dormitory between 10:36 and 11:05 p.m. That’s where the assault allegedly took place.
The victim called 911 to report the attack that night, according to Maho.
Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect in the case.
The parents of the victim have demanded that campus police bring outside law enforcement into the investigation, saying they fear the college could mishandle the case just as they believe happened following another student’s death last year.
The family also retained private investigator Michael Claytor amid concerns that the UCSB Police Department may not have the resources needed to fully investigate the still-unsolved attack.
The family pressed for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to join the investigation, saying a larger agency with broader experience is needed to track down the attacker.
They cited the unresolved death of UCSB freshman Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel, 18, who suffered fatal injuries after falling from a third-floor breezeway at San Rafael Residence Hall on Feb. 14, 2025.
As concern continues to build, students and community members gathered for a candlelight vigil held for the survivor in Isla Vista.
Small groups gathered in Greek Park for the somber event as daylight faded on May 26, with attendees clustering in circles along paved paths.
The vigil served both as a show of support for the survivor and a public call for accountability in a case that continues to upset the campus community.
Despite facing ongoing pressure to solve the case, Maho said the victim’s family has not been notified by campus police of any updates in the investigation.
“With the strangulation and a sexual assault, it looks like clearly an attempted murder,” said Maho. “Having him at large is not safe for my client or for the community.”
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