SANTA CRUZ, Calif.- Santa Cruz Police said they are continuing to follow leads Thursday night in the hunt for the man who shot a UC Santa Cruz student in the head near a bus stop Monday.
Police said Thursday the 21-year-old woman's stolen backpack was found behind Branciforte Middle School. Surveillance video showed a Chevy truck near the scene. The attack on Monday happened near the Natural Bridges bus stop.
The woman is now out of the hospital, and recovering, after a doctor found a bullet in her skull.
Investigators said the student was waiting at a bus stop on Natural Bridges Drive when she was shot in the head during a robbery Monday night at 7:30 p.m. The 21-year-old victim was taken to the hospital but has since been released and is with family. Police said on Tuesday night she was able to give them enough information to put out a sketch of the suspect.
The student told police she was approached by a person holding a gun. Police said the suspect came from the wooded area behind the bus stop. The suspect pointed a riffle at the victim and demanded that she empty her pockets and hand him all of her stuff, said police.
According to the victim, she was hit in the back of the head with the riffle but was able to run away and flag down a driver. Doctors discovered that she had actually been shot in the head. The bullet was successfully removed by neurosurgeons. Police said she is expected to make a full recovery.
Detectives searched the area with metal detectors and a K-9 unit, but were unable to find the suspect.
The Santa Cruz Police Department is actively working with officials at UCSC in the course of this investigation to notify students of safety precautions and seek information.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call 9-1-1 or contact the Santa Cruz Police Department Investigations Unit at (831) 420-5820. Anonymous tips can be left on the tip line or via the mobile iPhone and Droid app.
The suspect is described as:
-White or light skinned male, approximately 5 feet 7 inches with a medium build
-Wearing jeans, grey hoodie
-Red bandana in a triangle covering the suspect's face
-The suspect was further described as having a gruff voice and several days beard growth
