{
  "id": "2024-03-18-usc-robbery-attempted-rape",
  "slug": "usc-robbery-attempted-rape-2024-03-18",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Southern California",
    "shortName": "USC",
    "state": "CA",
    "type": "private-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "TrojansAlert",
    "enrollment": 49500
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-03-18",
    "type": "sexual-assault",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "headline": "Pre-dawn robbery and attempted rape halted by a passerby; suspect fled",
    "headlinePublic": "Pre-dawn robbery and attempted rape halted by a passerby; suspect fled",
    "summary": "The USC [Department of Public Safety](https://dps.usc.edu/) issued a timely warning after a [robbery and attempted rape](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/03/18/robbery-and-attempted-rape/) occurred at 2:59 a.m. PDT on March 18, 2024, in front of the John & Alice Tyler Building at 3601 Flower Street on the University Park Campus. A non-USC victim walking on Flower Street was approached by a suspect on a bicycle, who pushed the victim toward a nearby bush and attempted to sexually assault the victim at knife point. A passerby heard the victim scream, intervened, and the suspect fled eastbound on Flower Street under the 110 Freeway overpass with the victim's cell phone.",
    "outcome": "Investigation opened by USC DPS and LAPD Southwest Division. No immediate arrest reported.",
    "resolution": "under-investigation"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Issued March 18, 2024 by USC Department of Public Safety",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Incident Description: While walking on Flower Street, a non-USC victim was approached by a suspect on a bicycle. The suspect pushed the victim towards a nearby bush where he attempted to remove the victim’s pants at knife point. A passerby heard the victim scream for help and intervened, which caused the suspect to stop his attack. The suspect took the victim’s cell phone and left on his bicycle going eastbound on Flower Street under the 110 Freeway overpass.\n\nReported Offense: Robbery and Attempted Rape\n\nDate & Time of Occurrence: 03/18/2024 2:59 a.m.\n\nLocation: In front of the John & Alice Tyler Building located at 3601 Flower Street\n\nReport Number: 2401174\n\nVehicle Description: Dark colored bicycle\n\nSuspect Description (provided by reporting party):\n\nAge:25 to 30 years oldEye Color:UnknownHair Color:UnknownHeight:5 feet 8 inchesRace:MaleSex:BlackWeight:UnknownAdditional Description:Wearing a light colored hat, grey sweater, dark pants, and white shoes.Weapon:Knife\nClick the link(s) below to view images related to this alert:\n\nImage 1\n\nIf you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321.\n\nPlease note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious.\n\nIf you have information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division.\n\nThe Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues Crime Alerts to the university community, in compliance with the Clery Act, when a criminal incident occurs within USC’s Clery geography and represents either a serious or continuing threat to the safety of students, employees and others.\n\nThe purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety.\n\nUSC Department of Public Safety Recommendations – Robbery\n\nNot every person you meet has good intentions. Be cautious of strangers and keep a safe distance. There is safety in numbers, so travel with friends.\n\nAvoid using cell phones or other technology while walking as criminals target distracted, inattentive individuals using them.\n\nIf you are the victim of a robbery remain calm and do not resist. Assure the robber you will cooperate and take no action that may jeopardize your safety. Do not make any quick or unexpected movements. Follow the robber’s direction, but do not offer more than they ask for. Don’t argue with the robber.\n\nAfter the robbery, go immediately to a safe location and report the crime to law enforcement. Call DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000 or call 911 for LAPD.\n\nIf you observe a crime in progress, STAY CALM AND CALL DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000 or call 911 for LAPD.\n\nBe a good witness: It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible.\n\nDo not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime.\n\nOther options to contact DPS, to report crime, ask for help and to receive information:\n\nBlue light emergency phones are located throughout UPC and HSC. The phones are connected to the USC DPS’ 24-hour communications center and identify the phone location if the caller is unable to speak. The phones can be used to request help, an escort, report suspicious activity and to report crimes. For more information visit: Emergency Blue Light Phones | Department of Public Safety | USC.\n\nSecurity Ambassadors : In addition to DPS officers who patrol a 2.5 mile radius around USC’s campuses, USC contracts with “Security Ambassadors” to patrol street corners in nearby neighborhoods and to observe and report crime and suspicious activity. This security force wears bright yellow jackets so you can easily spot them. If you need assistance, look for a Security Ambassador.\n\nGet a Ride: Lyft is now available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information: https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/campus-cruiser-program/how-to-use-lyft/\n\nVerify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app.\n\nGo the extra mile: The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead.\n\nLiveSafe APP: To quickly make emergency push button calls to DPS or 911 on your mobile phone, download the Trojan Mobile Safety APP “LIVESAFE” from Google Play or the Apple iTunes Store. For more information regarding LIVESAFE visit https://dps.usc.edu/services/safety-app/.\n\nTrojansAlert: Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert t o allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. For more information visit: http://dps.usc.edu/services/trojans-alerts/. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts.)",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/03/18/robbery-and-attempted-rape/",
      "sourceDescription": "USC Department of Public Safety Timely Warnings Archive",
      "annotations": [
        "The incident occurred at 2:59 a.m. PDT, during the highest-risk window for campus sexual assaults, when fewer witnesses and safety escorts are available",
        "USC discloses that the victim was 'non-USC', language commonly used in DPS bulletins for incidents within Clery geography but involving community members who are not USC students or employees",
        "The alert details the suspect's MO (bicycle approach, pushed victim into bushes, knife point), atypically specific for a sexual-assault Clery alert because the suspect was a stranger and the bystander intervention provided witness detail",
        "A passerby's intervention was decisive in stopping the attack, the alert preserves this fact, modeling bystander response without making it a generic safety tip",
        "References USC's Campus Cruiser and Lyft ride services as preventive resources, reflecting the university's investment in late-night transportation alternatives",
        "2026-09-21 second deep audit b50 P4 a1-noledger-single-alert-public-case. Recapture official product at product boundary. Dual html.parser walk+regex. Cap-exempt R1."
      ],
      "characterCount": 5991
    }
  ],
  "context": "This timely warning documents a stranger attack that escalated from an attempted rape at knife point to a robbery outside the [John & Alice Tyler Building](https://dps.usc.edu/2024/03/18/robbery-and-attempted-rape/) at 3601 Flower Street on USC's University Park Campus. The 2:59 a.m. PDT incident (during the highest-risk window for campus assaults) was halted only when a passerby heard the victim scream and intervened, prompting the suspect to flee on his bicycle eastbound under the [110 Freeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_110_(California)) overpass with the victim's cell phone. USC discloses that the victim was a non-USC community member, a category USC's [DPS](https://dps.usc.edu/) routinely identifies in Clery alerts when an incident occurs within the university's Clery geography but involves someone outside the campus population. USC maintains one of the most extensive [timely warning archives](https://dps.usc.edu/alerts/) among private universities, publishing each alert as a permanent web page with the full incident description rather than only the boilerplate. The area around USC's University Park Campus in South Los Angeles has historically been a focus of campus safety concerns, and the university has invested in security infrastructure and ride services to mitigate risks.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "USC DPS - Robbery and Attempted Rape Timely Warning",
      "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/2024/03/18/robbery-and-attempted-rape/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "USC Department of Public Safety - Clery and Crime Alerts",
      "url": "https://dps.usc.edu/alerts/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "timely-warning",
    "sexual-assault",
    "robbery",
    "attempted-rape",
    "california",
    "private-university",
    "late-night"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-03",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-09-21",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}