Police are looking for a “peeping” man accused in a series of sexual battery cases in Oceanside, the most recent of which escalated to alleged sexual assault on a woman.
The Oceanside Police Department said a woman was grabbed and sexually assaulted by a man on Sept. 5 near San Ramon and Rancho Del Oro drives.
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Investigators believe this man is also responsible for six other peeping or indecent exposure incidents in the area dating back to mid-June. Police said the man is usually nude.
The OPD said the incidents began happening in June, with all calls coming from an area near the River Oak Apartments located at 3880 San Ramon Dr.
The first happened either on June 18 or June 25 along the 3700 block of San Ramon Drive.
The others, according to police, happened as follows:
- June 27: 3800 block of San Ramon Drive
- Aug. 8: 200 block of Rancho Del Oro Drive
- Aug. 19: 3800 block of San Ramon Drive
- Aug. 26: 3800 block of San Ramon Drive
- Sept. 5: 3700 block of San Ramon Drive
- Sept. 5: 300 block of Rancho Del Oro Drive
The OPD described the man suspected in these sex crimes as being a white man in his 20s or 30s, with black, military-cut style hair. He has a slim, muscular build and a medium-sized tattoo on his left arm and possibly on his chest.
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Police said surveillance cameras in the area captured an image of the suspect and that photo was released by authorities on Wednesday.
Juliana Will, who lives at the River Oaks apartments, said she is frightened the place she’s called home for less than a month could have a naked man lurking around the property.
"It’s scary to think that we move in somewhere knowing that it was safe and then having it just 180, and having this. And having a heavy police situation, that makes it also a little shaky on the nerves,” Will said.
Another new neighbor in the complex, who wanted to stay anonymous, said she and her daughter have both encountered the naked suspect.
"This gentleman just passed by her completely naked and he ran behind our building. And she came inside right away," said the mother.
She said the incident happened about a month ago while her daughter was walking the dog. Since then, there has been at least one incident that has put her on edge.
“I heard noise out there and I just saw a shadow going away," said the woman.
That was enough for her to install an alarm system and make sure she and her daughter stay in groups until the suspect is caught, she said.
The same goes for Will.
“Honestly I’m a little afraid to walk to the trash can when the sun goes down. I ask my husband, 'Can you go with me to walk the dog? Can you go with me to the trash can?' And it just sucks that we have to live in that fear now,” said Will.
Anyone who recognizes the suspect can reach out to OPD Det. Larry Weber at (760) 435-4619 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest; tipsters can remain anonymous.
