Orson Dumbee, a first-year undeclared student at UC Santa Barbara, recently attempted to file a report with the Isla Vista police, claiming he is being "haunted." Dumbee insisted on the term "haunting" over "stalking" when describing repeated encounters with a blonde woman in a cat costume in Isla Vista. A local news report indicated that no official report was filed due to a lack of sufficient evidence and suspicion that the filer was intoxicated.
Dumbee's experiences began on October 16 when he ventured into Isla Vista for a Halloween party with friends. Around 8 p.m., he and his friends, dressed in costumes including a Minecraft character, navigated the area. Dumbee told a local news report he perceived an unsettling atmosphere upon entering Isla Vista through Pardall Tunnel, noting the streets appeared unusually empty with people concealing their faces in large sweatshirts. The group, which included a pirate and a Nintendo Switch controller, made their way to Del Playa Drive in an attempt to enter a party. Dumbee consumed a significant amount of kombucha, which he described as having a small alcohol content, and later tried to retract this statement to a local news report, fearing his RA would discover his "illegal" means of "intoxication." Despite their efforts, Dumbee and his friends were unsuccessful in gaining party entry.
Around 10 p.m. that evening, Dumbee first noticed a blonde girl dressed in all black with animal ears, resembling a cat, near San Rafael Hall. He explained to a local news report his aversion to cats, stemming from a childhood scratching incident. He soon realized this was not an isolated sighting. Dumbee remembered seeing the same girl earlier by Freebirds, then again on Del Playa Drive, and now at San Rafael. He felt unable to escape her presence, observing her appearing wherever he was. He suspected she was attempting to deceive him by walking with different groups to avoid suspicion, but he was certain it was the same person. Dumbee recalled to a local news report that the repeated sightings "felt like an evil omen." This feeling prompted him to make his friends return to the dorms, though he initially forgot about the incident after the weekend.
Despite the prior less-than-ideal experience, Dumbee and his friends decided to go out again on October 24, dressing as manga characters. This time, they reportedly found alcoholic kombucha. However, before even reaching Isla Vista, Dumbee claimed he again saw the same blonde girl, who he said was in a cat costume. He further alleged that she made a hissing sound at him as she passed. Immediately following this encounter, Dumbee walked to the police station in Isla Vista to file a report. He insisted he was being haunted and resisted suggestions that he might mean stalking. He characterized the experience as an attempt by the "evil cat from my childhood" to have a final laugh.
A local news report confirmed that law enforcement did not actually file the report, citing a lack of sufficient evidence and the suspicion that Dumbee was intoxicated. Currently, Dumbee states he no longer feels safe. He reports seeing the blonde girl, now out of costume, frequently in various locations and believes she is following him. Dumbee told a local news report that he isn't a fan of the horror genre, finding it unsettling and causing physical discomfort.
