Palomar police investigating two on-campus assaults

Story by Summer Aguirre

Two assaults that occurred on Palomar College’s San Marcos campus the week of Aug. 26 are  currently being investigated.

The suspect is believed to have been involved in both crimes and was arrested on Aug. 27. He has been identified and was placed in custody on Aug. 28.

The Palomar College Police Department could not disclose his name to The Telescope, being that the case is still under investigation. The victims have described him as a 20-year-old African American. He had a flat top haircut and was wearing a yellow shirt, gray sweatpants, and a black backpack.

He is not a student and a press release revealed that he may have been wearing an ankle monitor.

According to Palomar Chief-of-Police, Chris Moore, both incidents involved a female victim who reported having been touched without consent. The motivation of the suspect is unknown.

The first attack that was reported occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 in the C building on the southwest side of the San Marcos campus. The campus police were notified at approximately 4:45 p.m. the same day.

A second victim came forward and alerted the PCPD on Aug. 27. The victim claimed to have been assaulted by the same suspect. The incident occurred around noon on Aug. 26 by the D building near Comet Circle West.

Prior to the suspect’s arrest, the PCPD maintained extra patrols in parking lots and buildings. They also partnered with outside law enforcement agencies and the North County Transit District team to investigate and identify the suspect.

Moore said the case has been submitted to the San Diego District Attorney Office, and that the PCPD is still looking for anyone with information who may have come in contact with the suspect. If you know anything about the suspect, contact campus police at (760) 744-1150, ext. 2289, (760) 891-7273, or the text-a-tip phone at (760) 891-6154.

Palomar President/Superintendent Joi Lin Blake expressed the importance of students reporting incidents to the campus police immediately.

“We take this seriously and we’re going to do everything we can to ensure that our campus community is safe,” she said.

Blake added that the school will work quickly to make sure that students will receive support if an incident does occur.

The PCPD urges students, staff, and faculty to move to a more populated area on campus and contact them if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Car escorts can also be requested.

saguirre@the-telescope.com