Suspect Tied to 2 Sex Assault Attempts

The incident happened in the 1200 block of Dennery Road, police say

 Police are searching for a suspect tied to two separate attempted sexual assaults in South Countyโ€™s Ocean View Hills neighborhood, putting residents in the area on edge.

The most recent incident happened on May 13 around 11:15 p.m. when a woman was walking into the Casoleil Apartments in the 1200 block of Dennery Road.

The suspect grabbed the victim and tried to sexually assault her, but he ran away when she screamed for help and pushed him away, according to San Diego Police.

Another victim reported a similar incident on the same block about a month before that.

She says the suspect approached her from behind and tried to sexually assault her. She screamed, and the suspect ran away.

The victims describe the suspect as a man between 25 and 30 years old, about 5-foot-9 with a thin, athletic build and thick eyebrows.

He was seen wearing a navy blue, hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, as well as tennis shoes with white soles.

Police released the composite sketch above to give a better idea of what the suspect looks like.

On May 15, the Casoleil Apartment community manager sent a letter to all residents to warn them of three to four incidents involving a man wearing a baseball cap and hoodie. 

The letter says that suspect walked up to a neighboring property and posed as a maintenance worker to get in. Police have  not said whether this is a part of their investigation. 

Many military families live in the area, and some Navy wives say that with their husbands gone, they can see why they'd be targeted. 

Shanel Collins told NBC 7 about a suspicious incident that happened a couple of weeks ago. 

She said around 8 p.m., she was at home with her daughter when a man came to her door. 

"It was dark outside. He came and told me that he was selling meat," said Collins. 

Her instincts told her not to open the door. The man wasn't in uniform and didn't appear to have merchandise with him to sell, she said. 

"I immediately called police, and the police found him with three other gentlemen," Collins said.

She admits she may never know what the man was up to, but she is more on edge now after seeing the police bulletin, warning of a potential predator in the neighborhood. 

If you have information about this suspect, call Crime Stoppers at 888-850-8477 or the SDPDโ€™s Sex Crimes Unit at 619-531-2210.

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