A stranger cornered students in their dorms until a witness chased him down

A stranger cornered students in their dorms until a witness chased him down

Police arrested a 29-year-old man on a $2.3 million bail after a series of late-night attacks at UCLA.

College should be a safe place to learn and live. But for several women at UCLA, a quiet Thursday night turned into a fight for survival in their own halls.

Late Thursday night, a man who does not go to UCLA entered the campus. Around 11:30 p.m., he grabbed a student from behind on Bruin Walk and stole her phone.

Over the next hour, he targeted three student housing halls. Police say he tried to trap or assault women inside De Neve Evergreen, Dykstra Hall, and Cedar Hall.

The attacks only stopped when victims fought back and bystanders stepped in. A witness heard a student screaming for help, chased the man, and led police to where he was hiding.

What the evidence shows

• Police found zip ties, duct tape, and nylon rope during the search.
• The suspect is held on a $2.3 million bail.
• The suspect is 29 years old and has no link to the school.
• Four separate campus areas saw attacks in about one hour.
• Sororities recently hired private guards to patrol nearby streets.

The Bigger Question

This is not the first time students have raised alarms about safety on campus. Women say they feel less safe lately, pointing to constant harassment near their homes.

If students feel they must pay for private security to feel safe, we have to ask a hard question. Where is the school failing, and why does it take a crisis to make dorms secure?

The Other Side

Olumuyiwa Akindahunsi has not yet entered a plea, and he does not have a public statement from a lawyer yet. Officials also noted that they do not believe he is connected to older safety incidents on campus. Still, the tools found during the arrest make a simple defense very hard to prove.

What Happens Now

Students are left dealing with fear as they walk to class. The school will likely face heavy pressure to secure dorm doors and step up patrols.

What We Still Don't Know

• How did an outsider get inside multiple locked student housing buildings?
• Will the university add more security guards or cameras to the dorm areas?
• Did the suspect have a history of similar acts in other parts of the city?