A woman sleeping next to her boyfriend was sexually assaulted Thursday by a strange man in her apartment, San Diego police said.
The brazen crime occurred just before 2 a.m. on India Street in the Little Italy neighborhood downtown.
Police released a composite sketch of the suspect, along with two pictures of a man from surveillance videos whom they believe may be the suspect.
The woman, in her 20s, told police she awakened to a man sexually assaulting her as she lay in her bed.
"It's a very bold person, I will tell you that--very bold person to do that," said SDPD Lt. Brent Williams.
The woman fought the man off. Then, her boyfriend chased him out of the apartment, police said. The suspect ran toward India Street until the boyfriend lost sight of him.
Neighbors told NBC 7, they are shaken up by the incident.
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"We're one door over. These buildings are old, people sleep with their windows open. That could have been us," said Courtney Kiesie.
Police believe the man entered the apartment through a window that opens to an alley.
"What we would ask San Diegans--if they have to leave their windows open--is to somehow secure it. Depending how windows open, it can be secured with a stick or a pole," Williams said.
The couple was sleeping with the window open because the apartment does not have air conditioning.
"In the past, we've had crimes where assailants were able to get up to those higher level windows and still make entry. So you want to be safe and we want all citizens to be safe," Williams said.
No other information was available.
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