Man Wearing Ear Gauges Attacks 2 Women In Sylmar Apartment Complex
SYLMAR (CBSLA.com) — Police in Sylmar issued a warning Tuesday about a man who sexually assaulted two women in the same apartment complex in less than an hour.
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Departments' Mission Station say a man attacked two women near Mountain View Manor, 12960 Dronfield Ave., early Sunday morning.
"The good news, neither woman was physically harmed in either case," Lt. Paul Vernon said in a statement. "But these were two bold, public encounters within the same complex and within one hour's time."
The first attack happened about 2:40 a.m., when the suspect approached a woman in her 30s as she pushed her baby in a stroller. He engaged the woman in small talk, then reached under her dress and groped her, police said. When she screamed, the suspect ran away.
About an hour later, police say the same man approached another woman as she walked back to her apartment and began to talk to her.
"He grabbed her and through a combination of carrying and dragging, he moved her 60 feet to a dark, secluded area, and started to remove her clothing," Vernon said.
Two passersby heard the woman screaming and intervened, and the suspect ran away, police said.
The suspect was described as a black man in his mid-20s, with a medium build, about 5-foot-8, 160 pounds and wearing either a hoodie or baseball cap. Both women told police the suspect wore large ear gauges in both earlobes. Police have dubbed the suspect the Ear Gauge Stalker.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the crime can call Detective Luz Montero at (818)838-9975.
