Thaddeus Staniforth was arrested Friday night at his Delta Terrace dorm room on suspicion of attempting to rape a student outside the residence hall Wednesday.
At approximately 3:25 a.m., Staniforth allegedly grabbed a woman from behind as she walked out of Delta Terrace, university police said.
He then forced her to a private area, straddled her and walked away without explanation.
Police were able to narrow down their suspect with help from the community and security camera evidence, said police Capt. John Adams.
“We’re very confident we have the person who committed the crime,” Adams said.
Staniforth, a 25-year-old student from Orange County, was described by neighbors as being a social person who got along well with people.
“He was really outgoing. He wasn’t shut in his room at all,” said neighbor BJ Bensoua, a third-year history student.
“He would always say hi to you in the hallways with a handshake or something,” he said.
Bensoua said Staniforth’s arrest came as a “big shock” to him and other residents.
“It never even crossed my mind. He was always such a good guy,” Bensoua said. “I hope he’s innocent. Everyone that’s in this whole community … we’re all in shock.”
Another neighbor, third-year English student Josh Villagomez, said Staniforth struck him as “a little awkward, but friendly nonetheless.”
Adams said this case differs from most sexual assaults university police deal with.
“There are a lot of acquaintance date rapes on campus,” he said. “What’s unusual about this is that it was a stranger.”
Staniforth is being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, according to records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.