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E-scooter thefts on Russell Lane and across campus

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Under Investigation

UC San Diego Police issued a Clery timely warning after an electric-scooter theft on Russell Lane near Gilman Drive. At about 6:31 a.m. October 29 a reporting party found a pictured 40-55-year-old suspect with the scooter; the suspect left the scooter and walked away. The same notice said a pictured 24-year-old had been identified in several campus e-scooter thefts over the past month. Police said not to contact him.

Alerts
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Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of California, San Diego
Public R1 · CA
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Triton Alert
Official alert policy
Read when and how UCSD says it will use Triton Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim4219 chars
UC SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT October 29, 2024 ALL ACADEMICS, STAFF, AND STUDENTS AT UC SAN DIEGO Timely Warning – Micromobility Device Theft (Motor Vehicle) On October 29, 2024 at approximately 6:31 AM, the UC San Diego Police Department received a report of a theft of an electric scooter (micromobility device) on Russell Lane, near Gilman Drive, on the UC San Diego campus. The reporting party arrived and found the suspect depicted below in possession of the scooter. When the suspect saw the reporting party, he left the scooter and walked away from the location. The suspect is described as a male, 40-55 years of age, light complexioned, wearing a black and gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants, dark sneakers, and a black baseball cap. The suspect was carrying a black baseball cap at the time he was seen. At this time, the suspect is not in custody. The report is currently under investigation by the UC San Diego Police Department. Numerous micromobility device thefts were reported to the UC San Diego Police Department from various areas on the campus, generally spanning the entire campus. The person depicted below has been identified during several electric scooter thefts on campus over the past month. He is a light complexioned male, 24 years old, 5'10", 180 lbs. At this time, the suspect is not in custody. The reports are currently under investigation by the UC San Diego Police Department. If you see this subject around scooters or bicycle racks on campus, contact your UC San Diego Police Department as soon as possible, and please do not try to contact him. If you have information that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4357 or submit an online tip at https://police.ucsd.edu/services/anonymous.html. The remainder of this message provides general information about preventing and reporting a motor micromobility device theft and is not necessarily related to this incident. If you witness suspicious activity or the theft of a micromobility device (motor vehicle) in progress: Contact the UC San Diego Police Department immediately by calling 9-1-1 and be prepared to provide the following: Location Suspect description, including clothing Suspect direction of travel Anything the suspect is carrying (tools, weapons) Description of e-mobility device If you are the victim of a micromobility device (motor vehicle) theft: Contact the UC San Diego Police Department by calling (858) 534-4357 and be prepared to provide the following: Vehicle year, make, model and color; Date, time, location you last saw your micromobility device (vehicle); Date and time you discovered your micromobility device (vehicle) missing; and Advise if you subscribe to a micromobility device (vehicle) tracking service, such as AirTag or similar device. General safety considerations to prevent a micromobility device (motor vehicle) theft: Always lock your e-mobility device (vehicle). Park in busy, well-lit areas. Pick a parking spot where there is a lot of activity. Thieves prefer stealing e-mobility devices from isolated areas. HDH offers Bike Lockers at multiple locations across Campus. Transportation offers bicycle cages at multiple locations across the campus as well. Protect Your Ride Micromobility Safety and Security video can also be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJRhfceGpo8 Install a vehicle tracking and location system that can be activated after the e-mobility device is reported as stolen. Take a photo of the device with serial number or other owner applied identifiers to share if the vehicle is taken. What is this Notice? This notice is being provided to you to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Timely Warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will assist community members in protecting themselves. If you have any Triton Alert questions, please contact EH&S Emergency Management & Business Continuity at emergency@ucsd.edu University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093 University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive | La Jolla, CA 92093 US
Verify this quote
UC San Diego Campus Notices wiki: Timely Warning Micromobility Device Theft 10-29-2024 (Russell Lane)ucsdcampusnotices.atlassian.netfind archived copies
Dual independent Confluence REST fetch 2026-08-24. CDATA html sha256 e553c3ced4a9ba84777c3c9c73a1458d59902f603e847cd41e0b2585a3dd29cd. Flattened from the embedded UCPD email body. Official motor micromobility wording, Business Continuity (not Mission Continuity), and doubled footer preserved. Suspect photos not transcribed. SPN save-sync HTTP 302.
Incident 2024-10-29 6:31 a.m. PDT on Russell Lane near Gilman Drive, plus a past-month campuswide e-scooter pattern.
Distinct from 2025-10-09-uc-san-diego-campuswide-escooter-thefts (later date) and from 2024-11-18-uc-san-diego-campus-phone-outage (later date, phone outage). Distinct from 2024-10-29-uc-san-diego-nordstrom-rack-villa-la-jolla-robbery (same calendar date; Nordstrom Rack armed robbery, not e-scooter thefts).
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, SuperGrok Heavy 4.5 (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

UC SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT October 29, 2024 ALL ACADEMICS, STAFF, AND STUDENTS AT UC SAN DIEGO Timely Warning – Micromobility Device Theft (Motor Vehicle) On October 29, 2024 at approximately 6:31 AM, the UC San Diego Police Department received a report of a theft of an electric scooter (micromobility device) on Russell Lane, near Gilman Drive, on the UC San Diego campus. The reporting party arrived and found the suspect depicted below in possession of the scooter. When the suspect saw the reporting party, he left the scooter and walked away from the location. The suspect is described as a male, 40-55 years of age, light complexioned, wearing a black and gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants, dark sneakers, and a black baseball cap. The suspect was carrying a black baseball cap at the time he was seen. At this time, the suspect is not in custody. The report is currently under investigation by the UC San Diego Police Department. Numerous micromobility device thefts were reported to the UC San Diego Police Department from various areas on the campus, generally spanning the entire campus. The person depicted below has been identified during several electric scooter thefts on campus over the past month. He is a light complexioned male, 24 years old, 5'10", 180 lbs. At this time, the suspect is not in custody. The reports are currently under investigation by the UC San Diego Police Department. If you see this subject around scooters or bicycle racks on campus, contact your UC San Diego Police Department as soon as possible, and please do not try to contact him. If you have information that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4357 or submit an online tip at https://police.ucsd.edu/services/anonymous.html. The remainder of this message provides general information about preventing and reporting a motor micromobility device theft and is not necessarily related to this incident. If you witness suspicious activity or the theft of a micromobility device (motor vehicle) in progress: Contact the UC San Diego Police Department immediately by calling 9-1-1 and be prepared to provide the following: Location Suspect description, including clothing Suspect direction of travel Anything the suspect is carrying (tools, weapons) Description of e-mobility device If you are the victim of a micromobility device (motor vehicle) theft: Contact the UC San Diego Police Department by calling (858) 534-4357 and be prepared to provide the following: Vehicle year, make, model and color; Date, time, location you last saw your micromobility device (vehicle); Date and time you discovered your micromobility device (vehicle) missing; and Advise if you subscribe to a micromobility device (vehicle) tracking service, such as AirTag or similar device. General safety considerations to prevent a micromobility device (motor vehicle) theft: Always lock your e-mobility device (vehicle). Park in busy, well-lit areas. Pick a parking spot where there is a lot of activity. Thieves prefer stealing e-mobility devices from isolated areas. HDH offers Bike Lockers at multiple locations across Campus. Transportation offers bicycle cages at multiple locations across the campus as well. Protect Your Ride Micromobility Safety and Security video can also be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJRhfceGpo8 Install a vehicle tracking and location system that can be activated after the e-mobility device is reported as stolen. Take a photo of the device with serial number or other owner applied identifiers to share if the vehicle is taken. What is this Notice? This notice is being provided to you to comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Timely Warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will assist community members in protecting themselves. If you have any Triton Alert questions, please contact EH&S Emergency Management & Business Continuity at emergency@ucsd.edu University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093 University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive | La Jolla, CA 92093 US

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree UC San Diego Police is named as the sender.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The notice is issued as a UC San Diego Police timely warning, so the sender is named.
    2. present: UC San Diego Police is identified as the source of the timely warning.
    3. present: The sender is named: UC San Diego Police.
    4. present: Authorship is attributed to UC San Diego Police.
    5. present: The agency name UC San Diego Police is on the warning.
    6. present: A named sender exists: UC San Diego Police.
    7. present: The timely warning names UC San Diego Police as the issuing body.
    8. present: Sender identity is present as UC San Diego Police.
    9. present: UC San Diego Police is named, so S is present.
    10. present: The alert is from a named police department, UC San Diego Police.
    11. present: The sending organization is named in the timely warning header as UC San Diego Police.
    12. present: S scores present because UC San Diego Police is named.
    13. present: The doubled footer still sits under a named UC San Diego Police warning, so the sender is identified.
    14. present: The notice is attributed to UC San Diego Police as the issuing agency.
    15. present: UC San Diego Police is named as the source of the warning.
    16. present: Campus police for UC San Diego authored or released the alert.
    17. present: Source field is filled by UC San Diego Police.
    18. present: The sender is UC San Diego Police, a named authority.
    19. present: Alert origin is UC San Diego Police.
    20. present: UC San Diego Police is the stated source.
    21. present: Issuing body is identified as UC San Diego Police.
    22. present: The police unit named is UC San Diego Police.
    23. present: Source is present and is UC San Diego Police.
    24. present: UC San Diego Police supplies the official source.
    25. present: The alert names UC San Diego Police as origin.
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree electric scooter or micromobility theft is a specific named threat.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The warning describes electric scooter theft and campus e-scooter thefts, which is a specific micromobility theft threat.
    2. present: The hazard is an e-scooter or electric scooter theft, not a vague crime.
    3. present: The threat is specified as electric scooter or micromobility theft.
    4. present: The alert names e-scooter theft as the crime type.
    5. present: The specific threat is micromobility or e-scooter theft.
    6. present: H is met because the crime is electric scooter theft, a specific micromobility threat.
    7. present: Readers are warned about e-scooter theft, not an unnamed offense.
    8. present: The hazard is a named micromobility theft of an electric scooter.
    9. present: Electric scooter theft is a specific threat matching the e-scooter or micromobility criterion.
    10. present: H is present: campus e-scooter theft.
    11. present: The threat is not generic property crime; it is e-scooter theft.
    12. present: H scores present because the threat is electric scooter theft.
    13. present: Both the 6:31 AM case and the 24 year old series concern e-scooter or micromobility theft.
    14. present: The event is identified as theft of an electric scooter.
    15. present: The harm is an e-scooter being stolen.
    16. present: The hazard type is e-scooter theft.
    17. present: Crime described is theft of an e-scooter.
    18. present: Hazard is clearly e-scooter theft.
    19. present: The problem is theft of an electric scooter.
    20. present: The incident class is e-scooter theft.
    21. present: Harm is theft targeting an e-scooter.
    22. present: Event is an e-scooter theft, not a vague crime.
    23. present: Hazard label is e-scooter theft.
    24. present: The threat is theft of an e-scooter.
    25. present: Crime type is e-scooter theft.
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree Russell Lane near Gilman Drive locates the event.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The incident is placed on Russell Lane near Gilman Drive, with further campus context.
    2. present: A concrete campus site is given: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    3. present: Location is Russell Lane near Gilman Drive on campus.
    4. present: Where it happened is stated as Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    5. present: Campus geography is given with Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    6. present: L is met with Russell Lane near Gilman Drive and campus.
    7. present: The place is Russell Lane near Gilman Drive on the campus.
    8. present: A street-level campus location is provided.
    9. present: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive is a specific where.
    10. present: L is present: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    11. present: Where is campus, specifically Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    12. present: L scores present because Russell Lane near Gilman Drive is named.
    13. present: The scene is located at Russell Lane near Gilman Drive on campus.
    14. present: A campus spot is given: Russell Lane by Gilman Drive.
    15. present: Location is Russell Lane near Gilman Drive on campus.
    16. present: The scene is specified as Russell Lane close to Gilman Drive.
    17. present: Place is on campus at Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    18. present: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive pins the campus location.
    19. present: Geography is Russell Lane by Gilman Drive on campus.
    20. present: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive is a usable place name.
    21. present: Campus location: Russell Lane near Gilman Drive.
    22. present: Street and nearby road on campus are named.
    23. present: Location string includes Russell Lane and Gilman Drive.
    24. present: Place is Russell Lane near Gilman Drive on campus.
    25. present: A specific campus corridor is given: Russell Lane by Gilman Drive.
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree recipients are told to call 9-1-1, lock devices, contact UCPD, and not approach the suspect.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Readers are told not to contact the identified person, to call UCPD, to call 9-1-1 if a theft is in progress, and to lock devices and use well lit parking, Bike Lockers, and bicycle cages.
    2. present: Protective steps include 9-1-1 for an active theft, locking the device, avoiding contact with the suspect, and contacting UCPD.
    3. present: Instructions tell people to lock gear, use lockers and cages, call 9-1-1 if needed, not approach the suspect, and call UCPD.
    4. present: Guidance covers emergency 9-1-1, UCPD contact, no contact with the suspect, and locking or caging devices.
    5. present: The public is told how to protect property and how to report, including 9-1-1 and UCPD, and not to contact the suspect.
    6. present: G is met with lock advice, 9-1-1, UCPD, and do not contact the suspect.
    7. present: Protective instruction is explicit: lock devices, well lit parking, lockers and cages, 9-1-1, UCPD, no contact.
    8. present: The remainder lists lock, lighting, locker, cage, 9-1-1, and UCPD steps plus do not contact him.
    9. present: Call 9-1-1, lock the device, do not contact the suspect, and contact UCPD are all protective instructions.
    10. present: G is present through 9-1-1, UCPD, locking, and no contact with the 24 year old.
    11. present: Safety actions are listed: 9-1-1 if in progress, lock devices, well lit areas, Bike Lockers, cages, call UCPD, do not contact him.
    12. present: G scores present because locking, 9-1-1, UCPD, and no contact are instructed.
    13. present: Protective instruction is repeated in the remainder: 9-1-1, lock devices, lighting, lockers, cages, UCPD, and do not contact the suspect.
    14. present: Readers are told to call 9-1-1, secure devices, and avoid the suspect.
    15. present: Guidance includes 9-1-1, locking the device, and no contact with the suspect.
    16. present: Actions listed: emergency call, lock gear, do not approach the person.
    17. present: Public is instructed to call 9-1-1, lock devices, and skip contact.
    18. present: Safety steps: 9-1-1, lock the scooter, do not contact the suspect.
    19. present: Advice is call 9-1-1, lock the device, avoid the suspect.
    20. present: Guidance is present: emergency number, lock device, no contact.
    21. present: Readers get three actions: 9-1-1, lock, do not contact.
    22. present: Do this: call 9-1-1, lock the device, do not engage the suspect.
    23. present: Protective instructions are listed for the public.
    24. present: Call 9-1-1, lock the device, and do not contact the suspect.
    25. present: Recommended response is 9-1-1, locking, and no suspect contact.
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree October 29, 2024 at about 6:31 AM supplies time.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: The warning is dated October 29, 2024 and the theft is timed at about 6:31 AM.
    2. present: Both a calendar date (October 29, 2024) and a clock time (about 6:31 AM) appear.
    3. present: Date and time of day are both present: October 29, 2024 around 6:31 AM.
    4. present: A date stamp and a morning clock time are included.
    5. present: October 29, 2024 and about 6:31 AM supply date and clock.
    6. present: T is met with October 29, 2024 and 6:31 AM.
    7. present: The event is timed with a date and a clock hour.
    8. present: Clock time about 6:31 AM sits with the October 29, 2024 date.
    9. present: Date and clock are both stated.
    10. present: T is present via October 29, 2024 and 6:31 AM.
    11. present: The date of the warning and the 6:31 AM clock time are given.
    12. present: T scores present because October 29, 2024 and about 6:31 AM are given.
    13. present: A date (October 29, 2024) and a clock time (about 6:31 AM) are both in the alert.
    14. present: A full timestamp is stated: October 29, 2024 at 6:31 AM.
    15. present: Date and clock time appear: 29 October 2024, 6:31 in the morning.
    16. present: When it happened is given as October 29, 2024, 6:31 AM.
    17. present: Incident time is October 29, 2024 at 6:31 AM.
    18. present: A precise morning time on October 29, 2024 is present.
    19. present: Clock and calendar: 6:31 AM on October 29, 2024.
    20. present: Time of day and date are both given.
    21. present: October 29, 2024 6:31 AM is an explicit time.
    22. present: Timestamp is complete with date and 6:31 AM.
    23. present: Occurrence time is October 29, 2024 at 6:31 AM.
    24. present: Date time pair is given in full.
    25. present: When: October 29, 2024, 6:31 AM.
  • Impactpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    All 25 reads agree a taken scooter, the suspect walking away, and a month of campus thefts describe impact beyond the crime label.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Beyond the word theft, a scooter was taken, the suspect walked away, and several campus e-scooter thefts occurred over the past month.
    2. present: The writeup notes a taken device, the suspect leaving the scene, and a month-long run of similar thefts.
    3. present: Consequence is more than the label theft: the scooter is gone, the person walked off, and thefts spanned the past month.
    4. present: It reports the device taken, the suspect walking away, and multiple thefts that month.
    5. present: Outcomes include a stolen scooter, the suspect leaving, and a month of campus e-scooter thefts.
    6. present: I is met with a taken device, walking away, and a month of thefts.
    7. present: The text goes past naming theft by saying the scooter was taken, the suspect walked away, and thefts ran through the past month.
    8. present: Device loss, the suspect leaving, and several thefts over the past month are consequences beyond the word theft.
    9. present: A month of thefts and a taken scooter with the suspect walking away count as extra consequence.
    10. present: I is present via device taken, suspect walked away, and past month thefts.
    11. present: The scooter was taken, the 40-55 year old walked away, and a month of similar thefts is cited.
    12. present: I scores present because a device was taken, the suspect left, and thefts ran a month.
    13. present: Consequences go past naming theft: the scooter is gone, the suspect walked away, and several thefts occurred over the past month.
    14. present: Impact covers a stolen scooter plus a month long theft pattern.
    15. present: A scooter was taken and similar thefts have been occurring this month.
    16. present: Outcome is a taken scooter and a run of thefts over the month.
    17. present: Impact is the missing scooter and ongoing monthly thefts.
    18. present: Effects include one scooter stolen and a month of similar crimes.
    19. present: A scooter was taken amid a month of thefts.
    20. present: Impact notes the taken scooter and a monthly theft trend.
    21. present: Consequences: scooter gone plus a month of thefts.
    22. present: Impact is a stolen scooter and repeated thefts this month.
    23. present: Reported effects: scooter taken and a month of thefts.
    24. present: Impact covers both the stolen scooter and a monthly pattern.
    25. present: A scooter was taken and thefts have spanned the month.

Coded by SuperGrok Heavy 4.5

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

UC San Diego Police posted the notice on the Campus Notices wiki, linked from police.ucsd.edu/alerts/warnings.html as 10/29/2024 Timely Warning Micromobility Device Theft.
Analysis

Key Findings

6:31 a.m. October 29, 2024 e-scooter theft on Russell Lane near Gilman Drive. Suspect 40-55 walked away after being seen with the scooter.
A 24-year-old pictured in several campus e-scooter thefts over the prior month. Do not contact. Suspects not in custody.
Outcome
Suspects not in custody. Investigation open. Photos not transcribed.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Official
    Timely Warning – Micromobility Device Theft (Motor Vehicle) - 10-29-2024
    ucsdcampusnotices.atlassian.net
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of California, San Diego: E-scooter thefts on Russell Lane and across campus." Incident of October 29, 2024. Added August 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/uc-san-diego-russell-lane-escooter-thefts-2024-10-29/

Download case JSON

Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
public-r1californiaucsdthefttimely-warning2024Under Investigation
Added August 2026Updated August 2026Via ingestion