Timely Warning – Attempted E-Bike / Motor Vehicle Theft

On 02/17/2022 at 5:58 pm, the UC San Diego Police Department received a report of an attempted theft of an E-Bike (Electric Bicycle) that occurred in the Warren College area of the U.C. San Diego campus, near the Warren Lecture Hall. A witness confronted the suspect who was using an unknown power tool to cut a U-Lock. The witness attempted to prevent the suspect from leaving with the E-Bike by grabbing the suspect. The suspect swung at the witness and a fight ensued. After the altercation the suspect walked away from the witness eastbound toward Voigt Drive, leaving the electric bicycle behind.

The suspect was described as a light skinned balding male, approximately 5’8 in height, stocky build, weighing approximately 190 pounds. The suspect was also described as wearing a black and white jumpsuit. The jacket of the jumpsuit was described as having white sleeves with the body of the jacket black. The suspect's pants matched the jacket and was described as black pants with white stripes running down the side of the pants legs.

There is no suspect in custody at this time, and the UC San Diego Police department is continuing its efforts in these investigations.

If you have information that could be helpful in this investigation, please contact the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4357 or send an email to detective@ucsd.edu.

The remainder of this email provides general information about preventing and reporting a motor vehicle theft and is not necessarily related to this incident.

If you are the victim of a motor vehicle theft:

Contact the UC San Diego Police Department immediately by calling 9-1-1 and be prepared to provide the following:

License plate number and vehicle year, make, model and color;
Date, time, location you last saw your vehicle;
Date and time you discovered your vehicle missing; and
Advise if you subscribe to a vehicle tracking service, such as Lojack or OnStar.

Consider contacting confidential campus support resources:

UC San Diego students – visit Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and (858) 534-3755.
UC San Diego faculty and staff – visit Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) and (858) 534-5523.
UC San Diego Health Sciences benefits-eligible faculty and staff – visit Liveandworkwell operated by Optum/United Behavioral Health and (866) 808-6205 (use company code UCSDMC).

General safety considerations to prevent a motor vehicle theft:

Always lock your vehicle, close all windows and sunroof, and take your keys.

Never leave your vehicle running when unattended.

Park in busy, well-lit areas. Pick a parking spot where there is a lot of activity. Auto thieves prefer breaking into cars in isolated areas.

Alarms or anti-theft devices work. Thieves are usually looking for the easiest target. If your car has an alarm or other anti-theft device, it could act as a deterrent, but don’t make the common mistake of assuming that because you have an alarm or anti-theft device, thieves won’t break-in.
Install a vehicle tracking and location system that can be activated after the vehicle is reported as stolen.

Don’t leave spare keys in or on your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places. Store spare keys elsewhere, such as your wallet or purse.

Report suspicious activity immediately to the UC San Diego Police Department by calling 9-1-1.

The information about this incident is being reported to you in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.

If you have any Triton Alert questions, please contact EH&S Emergency Management & Business Continuity at emergency@ucsd.edu