Police seek man wanted for attempted kidnapping of CSUCI student

Police are searching for a man who assaulted and tried to kidnap a 24-year-old female student at knife-point from the California State University Channel Islands campus late last night, university police said in a prepared statement.

According to CSUCI officials, the woman was walking from the university library to her car at around 10:35 p.m. when she was assaulted in the student union parking lot by a white male in his late 20s.

The woman told police she saw the man park his black Ford Mustang near her car and when she attempted to unlock her door, he grabbed her left arm and put a knife to her neck.

Police said the man told the woman to get into his car, but she was able to break free and lock herself inside her own vehicle.

The woman told authorities the assailant then drove away and she drove to a nearby parking lot emergency phone and called police.

CSUCI police and Ventura County sheriff's deputies searched for the man, who was described as approximately 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with short brown hair, thick eyebrows, a well-trimmed goatee and facial acne.

University officials said the woman told police the man was wearing a plain black T-shirt, baggy blue jeans and "skateboard-style" black sneakers.

His car was described as a newer model with tinted windows.

Nancy Gill, a CSUCI spokesperson, said this is the first time an attempted kidnapping has been reported on the campus. She said it was not yet known whether the assailant is a student or if he knows the woman, who lives off campus.

The university sent students a campuswide bulletin alerting them to the incident.

Police are asking anyone with any information about the attack to call the University Police Department at (805) 437-8444. Calls may be made anonymously by calling 1 (800) 782-7463 (1 800 78CRIME) or online at wetip.com.