University police arrested a student Wednesday suspected of
committing a string of perceived hate crimes that began over two
weeks ago at the LGBT Resource Center.
Robert Grosfield, 22, was arrested at his home in Ventura County
at about 1 p.m. Wednesday following an investigation that began
Sept. 13, the morning after a grapefruit-sized piece of concrete
shattered a window at the center.
Grosfield was charged with the interference of the exercise of
civil rights, a felony, and is being held on $50,000 bail. Police
said they are not currently searching for other suspects and that
additional charges against Grosfield, including vandalism and
burglary, could follow.
“I felt this place (the LGBT center) was completely
safe,” said Ronni Sanlo, director of the LGBT center.
“It’s a shame that people have to do these kinds of
things in an attempt to get their point across.”
The broken window was the first in a series of three attacks on
the center during the last weeks of summer, and came right as the
resource center celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Police designated the attacks as hate crimes, a charge carrying
higher degrees of legal ramifications, because they were directed
at the LGBT center.
Sanlo said an assailant threw rocks at the windows less than two
days after the first attack. Two rainbow flags that draped the
center’s windows were stolen.
“I just sat down on the floor (of the center) and just
started crying. It was such an attack on everything that we stood
for in terms of justice and inclusion and freedom on this
campus,” Sanlo said.
“It was just a very, very sad moment.”
Authorities came to the scene and Sanlo said police were able to
collect fingerprints and blood samples because the suspect had been
cut by the broken windows.
Chancellor Albert Carnesale issued a statement immediately
following the second attack, calling the incident “deeply
troubling” and assuring the campus community that “this
type of behavior is unacceptable on our campus.”
“Any incident will be fully investigated and pursued to
the full extent of the law and university policies,” the
statement read.
Community support was overwhelming, Sanlo said, and the center
hosted an open house party the Friday following the first two
incidents themed “They can break our windows but not our
spirit.”
Maintenance crews also affixed special protective barriers over
the windows shortly after the second assault to help prevent
further incidents and damage.
But there was still another attack. Less than three days after
the party, the new barriers proved effective when an assailant
tried to break into the center, Sanlo said.
Robert Naples, dean of students, said it is too early to tell if
Grosfield will face charges under the student code of conduct, but
said if Grosfield is accused of doing damage on campus, it is
likely that he would be charged with a violation of the code.
Grosfield’s violation could be more severe, Naples said,
if it is determined to be a hate crime ““ an offense that
would normally result in the suspension or dismissal of a
student.
Some students said the center provides them with a sense of
community and believe the attacks were an expression of hatred.
Sitting in front of one of the broken windows, Paymon
Ebrahimzadeh, a third-year music history student, described how
much the center meant to him.
Ebrahimzadeh was not openly gay when he came to school as a
freshman and encountered two roommates he said were homophobic. The
center and the Queer Alliance, a coalition of LGBT groups on
campus, were places Ebrahimzadeh said he could be part of a
community and feel comfortable with his own sexuality.
“Coming here and using words like “˜I’m
gay’ ““ in this space I could do it. Nowhere else I
could,” he said.