On Feb. 28, UCI students were notified of a hate crime that occurred at Arroyo Vista (AV) Housing close to 8:30 p.m. The incident followed a cookout the UCI Black Student Union (BSU) held on the Arroyo Vista Lawn to close out Black History Month.
A Crime Alert was sent to students and faculty through an email at 12:34 a.m. on Feb. 28 by the UCI Police Department (UCIPD).
A group of white teenage boys riding e-bikes were reported to have chased a student while yelling racial slurs and spitting, and one hit the back of the student’s leg with their front tire. One juvenile was detained.
The victim, who is a fourth-year UCI student New University is keeping anonymous, said they were heading to their Vista Del Campo (VDC) apartment when they were approached by the juveniles near the Kappa Sigma Fraternity House. A brief conversation ensued, during which one boy called the student a racial slur and the student asked the teenagers to leave them alone.
In their statement to UCIPD, the student alleged the group blocked their way as they were trying to pass through two buildings in the AV complex and began chasing the scooter-riding student onto the street shortly after one teenager yelled, “You just spit on me!”
“At this point I’m hyperventilating, I’m screaming, I’m asking for help,” the student told New University, adding that the group tried to grab their shirt and push them off the road.
The student sustained injuries on their right leg, including an ankle injury, abrasions and a skin infection, which they said the officer on the scene dismissed as dry skin. They are yet to return to campus.
“This kid had grazed the back of my leg with his bike in a malicious manner, trying to push me off, trying to bring further harm to me,” the student said.
The chase continued until the student reached their friends back in the AV Lawn, where they started recording the five teenagers, who were flashing their high beams at the students. According to the victim’s statement, they were shouting slurs and insults and claiming they would not be apprehended by police because they are minors.
According to the student, officers arrived about five-10 minutes after the call to UCIPD. The student said they had to repeat their story multiple times after the incident, and again hours later, before the officer was convinced of the events.
“I felt as though I was the one in trouble,” they said. “I really didn’t like that, I disliked that horribly.”
As of now, they don’t feel safe returning to campus.
“And they’re still trying to call me to convince me to come back to campus, which I’ve told them multiple times, I don’t feel safe doing,” the student said.
The student also told New University that they had an encounter with a group of teenagers in October, which mirrored the recent incident, where one of them brandished a firearm from his belt. On Oct. 11, UCIPD reported a zotALERT that a white male 12-13 years of age threatened the reporting party with a handgun.
“I’m taken aback by that [so] I stop … I’m obviously not trying to get hurt,” the student said. “Then they speed down the road, they’re screaming the n-word over and over and over again.”
The ZotAlert does not include any mention of racial slurs used by the suspect.
UCIPD did not respond to an email sent by New University requesting information about the incident and their response. But, according to Tom Vasich, UCI’s Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations, the police department cannot reveal any details due to an active investigation.
“UC Irvine remains firmly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all members of our community,” Vasich said in an email sent to New University. “As part of this commitment, the UC Irvine Police Department actively investigates all reported hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, taking each case seriously and ensuring that objective facts guide every determination of bias motivation in accordance with state and federal reporting standards.”
Another Crime Alert was sent on Dec. 3, 2025 during the school year, notifying students of a hate crime committed by two juveniles, one of whom was described as “having blond hair and white skin.” In this case, the teenagers yelled ethnic slurs and threw things at a student on a scooter.
The incident saddened Eunique Sherow, BSU President and third-year political science and criminology, law and society student.
“I feel like my duty here on campus is to amplify the Black students’ experiences at UCI, and knowing that one of our students, one of my peers, [one of] my friends, was targeted for a hate crime like this just didn’t feel good whatsoever,” Sherow told New University.
According to the victim, all five juveniles have been identified. BSU hopes the juveniles will be charged with hate crime, and the one that injured the victim with assault and battery.
In a statement, BSU urged UCI and UCIPD to counter the allegedly racially-motivated incident.
“Incidents like this cannot be tolerated, and they will continue to occur if the administration fails to respond with urgency and accountability,” the statement read.
Mariam Farag is an Assistant News Editor. She can be reached at msfarag@uci.edu
