Police continue to search for a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in North Park last week.
The incident happened on Friday, June 10 around 10 p.m. on the 2900 block of El Cajon Blvd. near Kansas Street.
NBC 7 learned that the victim’s phone, which began ringing during the incident, might have helped her escape.
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect on Thursday and are now offering a $1000 award for any information leading to his arrest.
Brian Ahearn, Capt. of Investigations with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) identified the victim as a 23-year old woman who worked in the area.
Last Friday, she had been waiting for her ride at a bus stop on El Cajon Boulevard after work.
That’s when the suspect pulled up in a white Ford extended pickup cab truck and engaged the woman in small talk. He then asked her if she wanted to join him for smoke in an alley nearby.
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“She described him as, you know, really being dressed and acting as if he fit in that community,” Ahearn said.
After walking into the alley, the woman told the suspect she wanted to go back but he took out a knife and began threatening her.
Ahearn says the woman began hitting his arm that was holding the knife and pleading with him to not hurt her. That’s when the man pushed her against a wall and groped her.
The woman fell down, dropping her backpack and phone on the ground which began to ring.
“The suspect went for the victim’s phone on the ground, which gave the victim enough time to grab her backpack and start to run out of the alley and back toward El Cajon Boulevard,” Ahearn said.
The suspect took off eastbound on El Cajon Boulevard in his truck after she escaped.
Ahearn says witnesses who had heard the woman screaming for help came to her aid.
“The victim felt comfortable enough in the days immediately after the crime to actually provide investigators with a composite of her recollection of what the suspect looked like,” he said.
He says SDPD is not investigating any other incidents that are related to this one and it appears to be isolated.
The suspect is described to be clean cut, between 30 to 35 years old, with a muscular build, wearing a black T-shirt with “Limited Edition” written in white letters on the front, baggy black shorts and a black baseball hat.
His truck had a rear paper plate with a hole punched in the middle.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-580-8477 or SDPD Sex Crimes Unit at (619)531-2210.
