Man charged after alleged sexual assault of UCLA student
A man who allegedly attempted to sexually assault a UCLA student in her Westwood apartment last week is being held on $1 million bail.
Police arrested Evan Ryan Baldwin, 22, on Thursday afternoon for assault with intent to commit rape. The district attorney has since filed charges. Baldwin is not a UCLA student.
Baldwin allegedly entered the student’s apartment at 403 Landfair Ave. at 2:20 p.m. on Thursday and attempted to sexually assault her, said UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein.
The student screamed, and Baldwin allegedly ran out of her apartment, Greenstein said. The student’s roommate called police immediately after the incident, and police arrested Baldwin near the intersection of Veteran and Weyburn avenues about two minutes later, she said. There were no injuries.
A key is required to enter the apartment building. Residents said the garage door, which opens onto Landfair Avenue, is sometimes open but usually remains closed.
Greenstein did not know how Baldwin entered the apartment building. He entered the student’s apartment through the front door and there was no sign of forced entry, Greenstein said. But she does not know how he was able to get past the door without forcing his way in. She also did not know whether Baldwin and the student know each other.
The detective investigating the incident was not available to give more details on Monday afternoon.
UCPD did not release a crime bulletin or alert other building residents about the incident because the suspect was arrested, Greenstein said.
“Bulletins are a timely warning that tells you there is danger,” Greenstein said. “We did not need to warn people because he was arrested.”
Fourth-year statistics student Kevin Jackson, who lives in the apartment building, did not previously know about the incident.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Jackson said. “You don’t really think of that kind of stuff happening so close.”
Students should lock their doors, not open building doors for strangers and report suspicious incidents as quickly as possible, Greenstein said. The reason police were able to arrest Baldwin so quickly is because the roommate called as soon as it happened, she said.
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