Authorities Searching For Assault And Burglary Suspect In West Hollywood
WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — Authorities are looking for a suspect allegedly responsible for assaulting a woman in the Fairfax district before breaking into another woman's West Hollywood home less than a mile away.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a man in his 30s assaulted an adult woman at around 12:30 p.m. on the sidewalk of the 800 block of Vista Ave in Fairfax. Police said that he pushed the victim into a garage and attempted to rape her but she was able to get free. The suspect then fled the scene.
About 15-20 minutes after fleeing the scene, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department claimed that the man pushed another woman into her apartment off the 7600 block of Hampton Avenue in West Hollywood. The victim then screamed, scaring the man before he ran away.
"She walked in, went up to her place. I think he watched her going up there and then as soon as she closed the door she gets a knock and he asks her, "Is your husband home?" said neighbor Laurenn Thomas. "She lives alone and so I think she instinctively answered, 'no.'"
Thomas said that the suspect then tried to silence the victim with a glove but her scream alerted nearby neighbors and forced the suspect to flee.
LASD has described the suspect as a Black man, in his 30s wearing dark clothing and carrying a bag. Authorities said that he is also a transient.
Law enforcement asked people to call the LAPD West Bureau Special Assaults (213) 473-0447 if they have any information about the incident.
The Sheriff's Department recommended residents walk and run in pairs and be aware of their surroundings.