Despite the email Campus Safety sent out in February, students are only mildly aware of the still at-large man suspected of multiple attempted kidnappings in Whittier. While some students remember reading about it, others were in the dark.

“There’s a kidnapping suspect?” exclaimed senior human biology major Christine Kim when asked if she was aware of the incidents.

Whittier police are still searching for the suspect of attempted kidnappings that took place in February. The three separate incidents happened on Feb. 5 and Feb. 21, when the suspect tried to kidnap a total of five girls — ranging from 7 to 17 years old — according to officer Bradley White of the Whittier Police Department.

"I put out stuff like this so they are aware."

After the Feb. 5 incident, Campus Safety sent an email to students informing them of the occurrence, warning students to be cautious when walking off campus.

“I don’t put out stuff like this so people live in fear, I put out stuff like this so they are aware and can take some responsibility for their safety,” said Campus Safety chief John Ojeisekhoba.

Freshman biblical studies major Dyamond Johnson and sophomore psychology major Chelsey Ermenio said they kept an extra eye out when walking together to the nearby shopping center. Other students agreed that the increased awareness was helpful.

"It's kind of good for me to be aware, not be naive [to the fact] that things happen everywhere," said junior humanities major Heather Weitz.

Suspect appeared to target young females

Ojeisekhoba expressed a concern for female students who walk around off campus. He said that while the suspect has targeted younger girls, a few of the girls were of high school age.

However, freshman kinesiology major Michelle Griffin said that awareness of the suspect would not change her routine.

“For me, I longboard at night off campus a lot, so that kind of does make me a little nervous, but am I going to stop doing that? Probably not,” she said.

An advisory to be aware

Ojeisekhoba advised students to be aware of their surroundings at all times of day and to call 911 if something does not seem right. He added that students can call Campus Safety if they are near campus, as one set of female students recently did after a group of men followed them back to Biola from the local dollar theater.

The suspect is described as a Latino male of medium to heavy build, age of 25 to 30, between 5 feet, 11 inches and 6 feet tall and drives a red convertible with a tan roof, said White.