Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. Safer is Cal Poly’s confidential resource for sexual assault and can be reached at 805-756-2282. San Luis Obispo’s Lumina Alliance 24/7 crisis line is available at 805-545-8888. More resources are listed at the end of this article.
A female student reported being fondled in the Grand Avenue parking structure by an unknown man Thursday night.
Cal Poly sent a campus-wide email on Friday about the assault, notifying the campus community that police are asking for help locating the man.
Around 8:40 p.m. on the top floor of the parking structure, “an unknown male approached a female student from behind and slapped her approximately four times on the buttocks,” the email stated.
When the student confronted the man, he said she had a “nice ass,” and asked for her phone number, according to the university email. He then walked down Pacheco toward Slack Street about one minute later.
The email described the perpetrator as a “5’8″, heavy-set, light skinned/’pale-ish’ Hispanic male” in his late 20s to 30-years-old, with a black beard down to his chest. The man was wearing a “baggy” black hoodie, possibly with a small design on it, athletic shorts that appeared to be gray, a gray beanie, calf-high black socks and black shoes. He also had a green lanyard hanging out of his left pocket.
The crime is categorized as “fondling” in Cal Poly’s official reporting under the Clery Act. University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said it’s defined as “the touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.”
Crime information or suspicious activity can be reported to the Cal Poly Police Department 24/7 at 805-756-2281 or police@calpoly.edu.
“Respect the rights and boundaries of others,” the Civil Rights and Compliance Office stated in the email.
The email also advised people to trust their instincts, be alert, travel in pairs or groups and to inform friends of “intended locations and times of travel.”
According to the Jeanne Clery Act, Cal Poly is federally mandated to disclose information regarding crimes reported on campus, if the reports meet certain criteria. When the perpetrator’s identity is not known, the case can be deemed a “serious or ongoing threat” and require the campus-wide notification.
The last time Cal Poly sent out notifications regarding sexual assault reports was in October 2021, when two reports were made one week apart. Those cases are no longer under investigation, Mustang News previously reported.
Unlike the previous notifications, the email on Friday began with a content warning informing students that the message contained descriptions of sexual violence.
“This information is being shared so that you can make informed decisions about your safety,” the content warning read. “We encourage all community members to care for their needs and well-being while reading this message, especially those impacted by similar forms of violence.”
Resources listed at the end of the email include Cal Poly’s Counseling Center, Safer, as well as the university’s Title IX coordinator, who can be reached at 805-756-6770 and crco@calpoly.edu.
Safer can be reached Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 805-756-2282 and offers confidential on-campus support and advocacy surrounding sexual assault, stalking and intimate partner violence for members of the Cal Poly community.
Lumina Alliance in San Luis Obispo offers services surrounding sexual and intimate violence. Their crisis line is available 24/7. To reach the crisis line, call 805-545-8888.
Other resources include SLO County’s Victim and Witness Assistance Services, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC).
Update, May 16: This article was updated to add information on how the Clery Act defines “fondling.”