Santa Cruz Police has released a sketch of a suspect accused of robbery and attempted murder of a student from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
The 21-year-old female student was waiting for a bus near the Natural Bridges Drive and Delaware Avenue at 7:30 p.m., Monday, when a man with his face concealed shot her in the head and robbed her of her backpack.
The backpack contained a laptop computer and wallet.
She was immediately admitted to Dominican hospital. Currently, the victim is in a stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
"She was incredibly brave and kept her wits about her. She's lucky to be alive. Had it been another caliber, we likely would have had a homicide," deputy Police Chief, Steve Clark, told Santa Cruz Sentinel.
A sketch of the accused has been released based on the victim's description.
According to the woman, the suspect appeared to be white/light-skinned, rough-sounding voice, several days of beard growth, 5 feet 7 inches tall, medium build, wore jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a red bandana over his face, and was likely driving a white Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Clark said that the bullet recovered from the surgery indicates that it was a .22- or .32-caliber from a rifle or handgun.
This incident prompted UCSC officials to offer some safety tips to students while travelling at night.
- Don't walk alone during late night hours.
- Let a family member or friend know your destination and estimated time of arrival.
- Stay in well-lit areas as much as possible.
Also, the page contains the description of the incident and possible suspects' features to hunt him down successfully.
