Police launched a manhunt on the Stanford University campus on Friday morning after a person working in a parking lot was pepper sprayed by a masked man, according to a Stanford Department of Public Safety announcement.

The victim was in the parking lot near the Clark Center at 9:15 a.m. when he was pepper sprayed. The assailant was wearing a baggy black hoodie with the hood covering his head and bandana hiding his face, campus police said. The man ran away after the incident. He was last seen traveling on foot on Campus Drive toward Via Ortega after leaving the Clark Center area, according to campus police.

Police immediately set up a perimeter and searched for the man, but he was not located.

More details about his face, age and ethnicity are unknown. He was described as being 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build, according to police dispatch reports.

The Stanford Department of Public Safety is urging the public to be alert and remain aware of their surroundings at all times. Anyone noticing suspicious activity is asked to call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Stanford police at 650-723-9633.

Sue Dremann is a veteran journalist who joined the Palo Alto Weekly in 2001. She is an award-winning breaking news and general assignment reporter who also covers the regional environmental, health and...

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