Student arrested after fight regarding USAC election results
By Erin Donnelly
May 10, 2014 8:26 p.m.
This post was updated on May 11 at 10 p.m.
A student was arrested in the Student Activities Center at UCLA late Friday afternoon, after an altercation between supporters of the LET’S ACT! and FIRED UP! slates following the release of the undergraduate student government election results.
University police responded to a call about 6 p.m. Friday regarding a verbal argument that became physical, said UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein in an email.
Rocio Trujillo, 26, was arrested on charges of assault and battery in connection with the incident, Greenstein said. Trujillo, a geography/environmental studies student, is the internal chair of the UCLA Community Programs Office Student Association and a supporter of the FIRED UP! slate.
Four out of 10 LET’S ACT! candidates were elected during Friday’s undergraduate student government election, including the president. All FIRED UP! candidates lost by a large margin. Members of the new slate originally planned to run candidates with LET’S ACT! but decided to form their own slate instead because they felt that LET’S ACT! members did not accurately represent certain student groups during their candidate selection.
A supporter of LET’S ACT!, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was assaulted during the altercation. She said she was talking to a FIRED UP! supporter about how she was concerned that the new slate pulled votes away from LET’S ACT! candidates.
As she was walking away, she felt someone hit her in the head from behind.
Trujillo allegedly ran at the student, punching her in the back of the head, according to another LET’S ACT! supporter who witnessed the incident and asked to remain anonymous. He then stepped in and tried to prevent the situation from escalating, but Trujillo allegedly continued trying to fight, so he asked that the police be called, he said.
Trujillo could not be reached for comment.
“Whatever happened in the (Student Activities Center) was very unfortunate and I think that people were taking things very far,” said a member of the FIRED UP! slate, who asked to remain anonymous. “I think that everyone’s emotions was very high after the elections.”
Trujillo was released late Friday night and is set to appear in the LAX Municipal Court on July 8.
Compiled by Jillian Beck and Erin Donnelly, Bruin senior staff.
