An attempted robbery-turned-assault on an SF State student occurred Feb. 11 on the first floor near the elevator of the lot 20 parking garage. Campus police were dispatched onto the scene at 9:58 a.m.

Victim Julyette Moreno was waiting for the elevator when a tall, dark-haired male in his mid-20s standing nearby asked her what time it was. When he asked her to repeat what she said, she moved closer to him to show him her watch.

“That’s when he grabbed me by my sweater collar and slammed me up against the wall of the elevator,” Moreno said.

Moreno, 32, of Felton, felt fear for her life when the suspect pulled his black Oakland Raiders skullcap over his face and demanded that she give him money while he pinned her to the wall. As she struggled to free herself, he smacked her across the face multiple times and continued to demand her money.

“Thank God I had my purse in my backpack,” said Moreno. “I usually carry it on my shoulder; I told him that I didn’t have any money while I struggled to get out of his grip. Somehow, he finally let go of me and escaped through the parking garage."

Baffled, Moreno stood by the elevator momentarily to collect her thoughts. She then headed for the Student Services building, where both the San Francisco Police Department and Public Safety were notified of the incident.

SF State reporting officer Todd Iriyama took notes on Moreno’s attack and sent out a crime alert to the SFPD. He then escorted her to class.

“The SFPD was notified of the incident, but did not respond at the time,” said SF State Public Safety officer, Freddie Sandoval. “Security has been alerted and now heightened in the Park Merced area, as well as in the Stonestown shopping center,” he said.

According to SF State’s Campus Security Report (CSR), assaults occurring on SF State property only account for approximately 2 percent of all campus crimes.

In the past three years, burglary leads the pack with an astounding average of 74 percent of all crimes committed on campus.

Moreno wears a Pentacle, a five-pointed star around her neck for protection, but had forgotten to wear it the day of the attack.

“I never take it off,” she said. “I had taken it off last week to clean it and forgot to put it back on. That’s the last time that will happen."

Moreno, who was whiplashed from the attack, was still in shock several hours after the incident. She said that she couldn’t go anywhere without thinking that she saw him, or at least someone who looked a lot like him.

According to Moreno, the suspect was approximately 6 feet tall, with dark brown hair, dark skin and dark eyes, possibly of Latino or Filipino background. He was last seen wearing a black hooded pull over sweater, dark, baggy jeans, and a black knit Oakland Raiders skull cap.

Anyone who thinks that they have information leading to the suspect’s location is encouraged to call the SF State Department of Public Safety at 338-7200, or the anonymous tip line at 338-3030.

SF State Public Safety also urges students to take caution of suspicious activity, especially when alone, and/or in a badly lit area. Traveling in pairs is strongly encouraged. C.A.R.E (Campus Alliance for a Risk-Free Environment) escorts are available for students in need of assistance in reaching their destination either on or near campus, when conditions are potentially unsafe to walk alone. The service can also be reached by calling the SF State Department of Public Safety.

Editor's Note: campus safety is a close personal friend of Julyette Moreno, and both are Xpress staff writers.