Orange Police Looking For Man Suspected In Series Of Assaults On Women At Park
ORANGE (CBSLA) — Officers with the Orange Police Department were asking Tuesday for the public's help identifying a man suspected in a series of assaults on women in the past eight days.
According to police, the man has targeted at least three women in broad daylight at Grijalva Park near the Santiago Creek between July 25 and Sunday.
The women all reported being grabbed by the man, described as in his 40s with black hair and brown eyes.
"Clearly he knows exactly what he's doing, and if I had not had my running shoes on and been able to run as fast as I could, who knows what could have happened to me," one victim said. "It could have been so much worse."
In one incident, police said the man was allegedly unzipping his pants.
"I really didn't know what was going to happen to me that day," the victim of that incident said. "He approached me getting a little closer, he told me and motioned to stay quiet, then he reached for his buckle and his zipper and started to slowly expose himself."
The victim said that when she reached for her phone to call 911, the man motioned that he would slit her throat. She fought back and was able to get away, screaming for passersby to help and call police.
The victims told police the man speaks both English and Spanish and was seen leaving on a bicycle.
All three of the women who reported incidents were able to escape, but police are concerned the man might become more dangerous.
"The fact that he would commit something so brazen during daytime hours when lots of people are out there enjoying the Santiago Creek, it tells us just how dangerous he could be," Sgt. Phil McMullin, with Orange PD, said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7444.