A 26-year-old man suspected of briefly kidnapping a pair of UCLA students in Westwood and who police say was subsequently linked to a previously unreported sexual assault near Palms was free on bail Tuesday while investigators sought possible additional victims.
According to the UCLA Police Department, Alexander Schecter, a Santa Monica resident, was originally arrested March 12 for allegedly briefly kidnapping two female students four days earlier in the 500 block of Landfair Avenue. Police said Schecter was apparently dropping off the pair but then refused to let them out of his vehicle, then drove roughly a half-mile away to the 400 block of Gayley Avenue, with the students still in the car.
Schecter, who has no known affiliation with UCLA, was arrested in that case on suspicion of kidnapping and false imprisonment, but he was released on $100,000 bail the same day, according to police and jail records.
During the subsequent investigation, police “uncovered evidence linking Schecter to a previously unreported sexual assault” involving a woman unrelated to the university, according to UCLA police. That assault allegedly occurred between 2 and 5 a.m. Oct. 12, 2025, near Venice Boulevard and Clarington Avenue, police said.
Schecter was arrested Friday in connection with that alleged attack, and was booked on suspicion of rape by force, forcible oral copulation, robbery, extortion, and battery. His bail was set at $600,000, and Schecter was freed on bond the next day, according to jail records.
Police said detectives believe there may be additional unreported cases involving Schecter and urged any other possible victims to come forward. Anyone with information or who wishes to report a related incident was encouraged to contact the UCLA Police Department Investigations Division at 310-825-9371.