Detectives are investigating a possible connection between a recent sexual assault at El Camino College and last year’s series of on-campus assaults that happened at Cal State Long Beach last year, though there is little to investigate.
The’Long Beach Press-Telegram ran a story earlier this month about a sexual assault that occurred at the Torrance college and its possible connection with the CSULB attacks. The speculation centers around the fact that the suspected assailant from El Camino and a suspect from one of the CSULB incidents reportedly wore the same clothing: a black hooded sweatshirt and a ski mask.
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, a 20-year-old woman was sexually assaulted near the women’s gym at El Camino College by a man with a knife, reportedly wearing dark clothes, a glove and a ski mask. Since the attack police in the Torrance area have increased patrols and visibility on campus.
CSULB had a series of on-campus assaults last fall. The attacks prompted CSULB officials to notify students.
“After the fourth report, we decided we really needed to let people know that this is not standard for this campus. This is a safe campus,” Toni Beron, a CSULB spokeswoman said.
“We have not established any relationship between the cases reported to us and the cases occurring at other universities,” CSULB Police Captain Stan Skipworth said. “There are similarities but they’re not what we would hope to find or follow up on. We are going to continue to monitor reported offenses of this nature.”
As of yet, no one has officially confirmed that there is a link between the assaults.
In the Press-Telegram article, El Camino College interim Police Chief Steve Port was quoted as saying, “We are getting the reports in here and seeing if there’s anything we can use from that. We don’t have anything to comment on it, nor can we say it’s the same, but we are certainly aware of it and looking into it.”
