Multiple Crimes on UT Austin Campus Connected to One Repeat Offender

By Gracie Kirschner

Reporting Texas

Some students at the University of Texas are concerned about their safety after a man accused of being a “violent offender” was arrested and released from jail three times in three days. 

One of those students, Caden Ruder, was a victim of those on campus assaults. He said he was walking home from class in broad daylight when he was punched in the face unexpectedly.

“I was turning the corner from Guad onto 25th Street, and take about two steps around the corner and just get hit in the face,” Ruder said. 

He said it happened so quickly and afterward, he was in shock. 

“I was just kind of scared, because who I was, like, Who hit me? Where are they? Are they gonna hit me again? But I didn’t know what was going on,” Ruder said.

For the most part, Ruder said he was physically okay besides a gash on his face and a pretty severe concussion. The worst part, in his opinion, is the newly heightened sense of fear he can’t seem to shake.

“I typically don’t feel unsafe, but after that happening, I mean, I feel like I keep an eye out a little more than I had been before.”

Those fears were exacerbated by the fact that his attacker, 22-year-old Aymen Labidi, was arrested following Ruder’s assault and then released back onto campus multiple times. According to court records, Labidi was accused of attacking at least three people on the morning he attacked Ruder. Authorities described Labidi as wearing a black suit, tie, and a white helmet. 

Online court records show he is now facing 11 charges and remains in custody on a $55,000 bond pending a psychiatric exam.

Even with Labidi now in custody, campus safety advocates say that arrests are not enough to protect students.

“He continued to re-violate our community by being out again with no consequence or accountability, until finally, on Thursday evening, when he was arrested again. But our concern is, why was there no accountability? Was it an oversight?,” asked Joelle McNew, the president and founding member of SafeHorns, a group of parents and community members dedicated to ensuring campus safety.

McNew pointed out that this is not the first time we’ve seen something like this happen on campus and that a lot of the current safety threats to students are people who’ve committed crimes in the area before. 

“We have a lot of repeat criminal offenders committing crime in the campus community that stay in this community, that they get arrested and immediately released right back into the neighborhood.”

In order to combat this, McNew urges students to be more vocal about safety threats on campus and ensure that they’re reporting incidents like these assaults to police. She also hopes that students take advantage of the safety resources UT already gives them. 

But that isn’t enough. McNew said something needs to change. 

“Are we going to sweep it under the rug? Are we going to be complacent and not do anything? Or, are we really going to take action to create an environment that is doable? We can make it safer.”

The university agrees. In a statement published April 11, university leaders said that UT families, students, faculty, and other stakeholders have a right to be frustrated that someone like Labidi was able to return to campus and continue to threaten student safety.

“When individuals threaten student safety with violent and criminal behavior, our law enforcement have been steadfast in making necessary arrests to remove these threats. But arrests are not enough. We must be able to work hand in hand with prosecutors and the local judicial system to make sure these offenders stay off our campus,” stresses Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife wrote in the statement.

In the statement, the school mentions the millions of dollars in safety investment already made to campus and West campus like lights, cameras, and additional law enforcement. They emphasize that they will do whatever is necessary to ensure that students can live and learn in a safe environment.

Interim President Jim Davis echoes that sentiment by saying he is working with local law enforcement to initiate change.

“This must change. Today, I spoke with the mayor of Austin and the Travis County judge, and I am seeking a meeting with our local elected prosecutors. We must find a solution. Our students and their families are counting on it,” Davis said in the statement. 

In the meantime, there are a variety of safety resources available to students. Along with the University of Texas Police Department (UTPD), there’s also SURE Walk that provides walks to and from campus to anyone feeling unsafe, UT Night Rides which provides a Lyft away from main campus to your home seven days a week from midnight to 4 a.m., and the LiveSafe App which gives the UT community immediate access to police dispatch via text. 

UT also launched the West Campus Ambassadors Program in 2023. According to the UT Austin website, these ambassadors are tasked with being an onsite presence focused on sharing safety resources and tips, escorting residents to their destinations in the late evening, working with local law enforcement to address other problematic situations, and much more. 

Ambassadors like Jairus Williams say it’s the most rewarding job out there. 

“I love coming into work every single day because I’m making a difference, and not just me, my team as well. We’re all making a difference, and we’re all doing it as a team and as one unit, and it’s just awesome,” Williams said.

Williams wants to be as approachable as possible for students and a helping hand wherever he can.

“We are approachable at all times of the day and the night as well. They can also call us. We have a hotline that they can call at all times we answer that phone, so if they need us, we will go to where they need.”

Reporting Texas reached out to the Travis County Attorney’s office for comment but did not hear back.