Following a highly-publicized incident involving a male student allegedly flashing a knife at a female student in a Cal State Long Beach (CSULB classroom), another student reportedly flashed a knife at a female student on campus today, according to the University Police Department.
CSULB UPD Chief of Police Fernando M. Solorzano issued an alert via email to all students, staff and faculty at the university regarding the incident this afternoon.
According to the release, university officials were alerted earlier Thursday by an anonymous individual regarding a male student, James Edward Deguzman, repeatedly opening and closing a black knife. The reporting party stated the size of the blade made her nervous.
The individual went on to state that the subject pulled out a knife, slightly larger than the first, and had both knives open on his desk out of sight of the professor, prompting her to leave the classroom to report the incident to the university police.
“There was no report of the subject brandishing the knife at any person, or threatening any person with the knife,” the report stated.
However, officers responded to the scene immediately and detained the subject for investigation, determining the subject, a CSULB student, held two knives in his possession. In fact, both knives exceeded the 2.5 inch blade allowance, as defined in the California Penal Code.
Deguzman has been arrested and was booked at Long Beach City Jail, officials stated.
Witnesses to the incident are urged to contact UPD Detective Christopher Brown at 562.985.4101 or [email protected].
“Groups on campus have voiced concerns about safety notifications and the university is refining the process to distribute those notifications,” wrote Solorzano in the release. “Please be assured that your safety is a top priority.”
This the second incident of note involving a knife in the last few months at CSULB.
The other, unrelated incident occurred on Thursday, February 25 during a sociology class. At that time, a CSULB professor allegedly perceived a threat when the male student was seen holding a small knife measuring 2.2 inches and asked the student to leave, which he did. Sociology students reported on social media that the male student—who was originally reported to be white—allegedly flashed the knife in front of a black female student during a discussion. Officials later stated that the student was of mixed black and white race.
During a university-led forum on March 11, university police said the male student was a relative of a personnel from the university police department and that the student was a community service officer.
Some students have expressed outrage at the lack of information on the incident by the university, and what they consider to be a racial problem on campus.
Above, left: photo courtesy of the UPD.