UCSB student Arian Eteghaei sentenced after rape conviction and escape

A former UC Santa Barbara student convicted of raping and sexually assaulting multiple women will spend at least three decades behind bars, capping a yearslong prosecution involving disturbing allegations of sexual violence at one of America’s top party schools.

Arian Eteghaei, 24, was sentenced to 30 years to life in California state prison after a jury found him guilty of forcible rape and forcible sexual penetration, but not before authorities say he made a brazen run for freedom, bolting from courthouse custody moments after his conviction.

His sentencing comes amid renewed scrutiny over sexual violence at UC Santa Barbara, which has been ranked the nation’s top party school by Niche for the past two years.

Eteghaei’s case adds to those concerns. He was also convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, while jurors found true a special allegation that the sexual offenses were committed against more than one victim.

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“This case would not have been possible without the extraordinary courage of the victims who came forward and participated in a long and difficult legal process,” Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch said. “Their strength and willingness to testify allowed the truth to be heard and ultimately allowed the defendant to be held accountable for the serious harm he caused.”

Authorities say Eteghaei escaped by force while in custody on Jan. 16, the same day the jury returned its verdict.

The alleged escape landed Eteghaei another felony case, with prosecutors charging him in March with one count of escape by force.

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Students walk on the University of California, Santa Barbara campus in Santa Barbara, Calif. (Kevin Koeppen Photography / Getty Images, File)

Eteghaei’s sexual assault prosecution stretched back years and centered on crimes committed while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.

“This case required years of persistence, careful investigation, and tremendous support for the victims,” Savrnoch said. “The collective work of this team exemplifies the commitment of law enforcement, prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates to seeking justice for survivors of sexual violence.”

Campus crime data previously reviewed by Fox News Digital show more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, while two separate sexual assault reports this spring and summer prompted campus-wide warnings and heightened concerns about student safety.

In June, UC Santa Barbara police issued a campus-wide Timely Warning after a woman reported being stalked and groped in broad daylight near Tierra De Fortuna Park.

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Police said the woman was walking along a paved access road on UCSB’s West Campus around 11:30 a.m. June 24, when a man riding a bicycle passed her before circling back multiple times over the next 15 minutes.

During the first two encounters, police said the man stopped to ask her questions. On the third pass, investigators said he approached the woman from behind, groped her and fled toward nearby Tierra De Fortuna Park.

The incident marked the second Timely Warning issued by UCSB police in under two months.

In May, an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.

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UC Santa Barbara freshman Elizabeth “Liz” Hamel died after a fall from a campus residence hall in February 2025; police ruled it an accident, but the district attorney’s office says the case remains under review. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Days after the attack, the survivor’s family, through attorney Tyrone Maho, publicly appealed for witnesses to come forward, saying anyone who attended the fraternity party or was near Tropicana Gardens on the night of May 9 could hold critical information.

The family also urged the university’s chancellor to ask the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to take over the investigation, arguing that the unidentified attacker remained “a potential threat to our community,” while expressing gratitude for the work already done by UC Santa Barbara police.

The attack prompted a candlelight vigil where students gathered to support the survivor and raise concerns about campus safety.

UC Santa Barbara has been ranked the nation’s top party school by Niche for the past two years.

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Walkway and Storke Tower are shown on the University of California at Santa Barbara campus. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Campus crime data previously reviewed by Fox News Digital showed the university recorded more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, according to its Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports.

The reports also showed increases in other reported crimes in recent years, including weapons arrests and burglaries.

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In a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital following the May attack, UC Santa Barbara police said federal law limits what officials can disclose about active investigations, but emphasized that reports of crimes on university property are fully investigated by sworn officers.

The department said it remained in direct contact with the survivor’s family and works closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office when appropriate.

Fox News Digital reached out to the UCSB for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Kelsie Cairns contributed to this report.