San Diego Police are investigating two separate sexual assaults over the weekend. The first happened Saturday in City Heights. Around 6:30p.m. police say a woman was assaulted in an alley near 3500 Van Dyke Ave. The woman went in the alley to dump her trash in the dumpster at the south end of the parking lot and was grabbed there by her assailant, police said.
The suspect grabbed the woman from behind, using one hand to wrap around the victim's neck while in the other hand he held a knife that he put up to her face, police reported. The suspect then forced the woman to walk a short distance away where he sexually assaulted her and then ran from the alley.
The man was described as black, 25 to 35 years old and about 6 feet tall with an average build, according to police. He had long dreadlocks which came down to his chest, a well-groomed goatee and an earring in his left ear. The victim said he smelled of cigarette smoke and had a deep voice.He was wearing a black sweatshirt, black pants and black shoes. A sketch of him is posted in this story.
A second assault happened around 2:10a.m. Sunday in an alley near the 1800 block of Bacon Street in Ocean Beach. Police say a woman was walking up the street when a man grabbed her and dragged her about 30 feet into the alley. The suspect hit the woman in the face, threw her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. After the assault the suspect ran from the scene in an unknown direction.
The suspect is described as white, 25 to 35 years-old. He is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and was very thin, police said. The suspect had short hair or was balding and had a well-trimmed red beard. He was wearing a dark sweatshirt and blue jeans. Police have not released a sketch of this suspect.
Anyone with information on either assault should call SDPD's Sex Crimes unit at (619) 531-2210 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
Photo Credit: San Diego Police Department