UC Davis police arrested three men early Monday in connection with an assault that has been classified as a hate crime.
Police Chief Matt Carmichael said the victim, an African-American woman, called police at about 3 a.m. to report that she had been attacked by several white males while walking near her residence in the campus’ West Village neighborhood.
“They were throwing items at the victim and at the same time barraging her with racial slurs,” Carmichael said. Officers who responded to the report found the suspects nearby and took them into custody. They are not UCD students.
Two of them, Lonny Doyal Lee, 24, of West Sacramento and Justin Sheppard, 22, of Sacramento, were arrested on suspicion of assault and battery, committing a hate crime and public intoxication — all misdemeanor crimes, Carmichael said.
A third man, 22-year-old Jake Lee of West Sacramento, was arrested for alleged public intoxication. All have since posted bail from the Yolo County Jail and are due in court May 10.
Additional details about the incident were not immediately released due to the ongoing investigation, but Carmichael specified that the woman was not sexually assaulted and did not require medical aid.
“That we were able to arrest the suspects was based upon the fact that the victim had the wherewithal to get safe and call us immediately. That’s huge,” Carmichael said.
Anyone who may have witnessed the attack or otherwise has information is asked to call UCD police at 530-754-COPS (2677).
UCD Chancellor Linda Katehi, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph Hexter and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity Adela de la Torre denounced the assault in a statement released Monday to the UCD community.
“We cannot stress enough that those who commit hate crimes in our community will be held accountable for their actions,” the statement said. “Acts of bigotry and discrimination have no place in a civilized society and they have no place on our campus. A hateful incident directed at any one of us is an unacceptable affront to all of us.
“We hope this unacceptable incident will serve to further advance dialogue about how the UC Davis community can continue to build a culture and climate based on mutual respect, support and caring,” the statement said.
The campus leaders urged anyone wishing to discuss the crime or any related incident to contact Kayton Carter at UCD’s Center for African Diaspora Student Success or Student Health and Counseling Services.
Campus officials alerted the UCD community to the alleged crime via email Monday night. Still, some students who were asked about their reactions to the incident Tuesday said they had not yet heard about it.
“That’s really surprising. I would never have thought that would happen here,” Ray Stevenson, 18, said while taking in the afternoon sun at West Village with fellow first-year students Marquis Turner and Muzill Izmarai. All three are Davis High School graduates.
Turner, who is African-American, said he has always felt safe on the UCD campus, and in Davis in general.
“That’s been the main focus, people being happy and being able to talk to each other and not having (things) thrown at you,” he said. “I’m sure those (suspects) are just the cowards hiding in the shadows.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene