Teen Girl Sexually Assaulted At Revere Beach Bathhouse, State Police Say
REVERE (CBS) -- Massachusetts State Police are searching for a man they say sexually assaulted a teenage girl while she used an outdoor shower at Revere Beach.
It happened at the Shirley Avenue Bathhouse around 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to investigators.
The girl told police that a young, slender, light-skinned Hispanic man with hair braided tightly to his scalp, about 6' tall, wearing a bathing suit and no shirt, tried to talk to her while she used the shower.
When she tried to get away from him, she said he grabbed her, kept her from leaving, and sexually assaulted her.
State Police said the suspect is about six feet tall and slender, and that he might have been wearing a dark-colored tank top and black shorts before the assault.
They also believe he was riding a mountain bike near the beach--and said he may have followed a different woman earlier in the afternoon Tuesday, trying to speak to her.
The girl eventually escaped and told a relative before reporting the assault to police. She was interviewed by troopers and taken to the hospital for examination.
Lifeguards said they had finished their shift and closed up the building more than an hour before it happened.
A State Police cruiser was parked at the beach Wednesday, and a detective was seen interviewing lifeguards on the beach.
"It's like a wakeup call that this can happen," said beachgoer Kayla Smith. "I am probably just going to keep my guard up, probably not wear my headphones."
Locals told WBZ-TV's Christina Hager they did see some commotion after the incident. One man said he saw crime tape around the whole bathhouse and three or four state troopers.
State Police said the area around the bathhouse was packed with people at the time of the assault.
"Especially at that time of evening, seven o'clock, there are a lot of people around, but I suppose anything like that can happen at any time, any place," one woman said.
State Police said their crime scene unit and a chemist searched the bathhouse for evidence.
Anyone with information about the assault, or who might have seen someone matching the suspect's description, is asked to contact police.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports
