UCSB on edge after horrific rape and strangulation

An alleged rape reported on the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara is sending shock waves through the campus community, with students on edge over the incident.

On May 10, university students received an alert about a “rape and strangulation” on campus property around 10:00 p.m., UCSB’s campus newspaper the Daily Nexus reported.

The alleged suspect, who was not identified, and the victim met at a party in Isla Vista, the nearby college town, and did not know each other prior to the incident.

Students on campus expressed fears.

“I feel safe in my dorm, because I’ve never had any issues there, but because I’m always out with my friends in IV, that feels a little sketchy,” student Adora Mina told KSBY, referring to Isla Vista by its nickname.

“‘Rape and strangulation’ on a university campus — so I checked the email, and they released no other information on who he was,” Mina added, noting it was even more frightening and shocking because the suspect was not identified.

This does not appear to be the first time an incident like this has occurred at what was ranked the No. 1 party school in 2026.

“Since 2022, campus crime rates have been on the rise, including reports of rape, dating violence and stalking. In light of this trend, the Daily Nexus compiled a resource guide for sexual violence survivors,” the campus paper wrote.

Police are still investigating the incident and are asking anyone with information to report it.

In the meantime, the university is making resources available for anyone involved, as well as students seeking support following the news.

“When these timely warnings go out about this type of violence, the alerts, though they can be important, they can be very impactful for someone that can be a survivor, so we do try to get the word out after to say if you’re feeling impacted by this situation, we are here,” Jamie File, a senior advocate with Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE), told the local news outlet.

She encouraged students to use the school’s 24-hour confidential support line for assistance.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters