Man Sought in Brutal Sexual Assault, Biting Attack on Elderly Woman in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Police in San Francisco are seeking the public's help in finding the person who sexually assaulted an elderly woman in a brutal attack that also included biting the woman's face causing severe injuries.
On Monday, police released a sketch of the suspect in the assault that happened on January 5 in the city's Visitacion Valley district in the area of Mansell St. and Visitacion Ave. at about 5:20 p.m. Initially, officers responded to the location but didn't find any victim or crime scene.
Witnesses told officers they heard a female yelling and saw an elderly woman being pinned down on the ground by a male. The assailant turned his attention to the witnesses, got off the woman, and fled the scene. The witnesses also fled in fear of their own safety and called police from their home and did not see what happened to the victim, police said.
Later at about 6:30 p.m., police were alerted about an assault victim at a hospital that stated she had been assaulted near McLaren Park. Officers who met with the victim believe she is the same victim from the attack described by the witnesses. The 71-year-old woman told the officer she was walking at Campbell and Visitacion Avenues when a man who had been hiding in the bushes approached her, threw her to the ground, and began to sexually assault her.
Police said the woman stated while she was being pinned to the ground, the man bit her on the face, causing severe injuries. During the assault, she heard other voices scream out and the man got off of her and fled the scene.
The victim was able to flag down a good Samaritan who helped her call her husband, who arrived and immediately took her to the hospital.
The suspect is described as Latino in appearance with a light complexion, possibly in his mid-20's, approximately 5'7" tall, stocky upper body with thin legs, approximately 200 lbs., dark hair in a "bowl cut" style. The suspect also had an awkward gait as if pigeon-toed or with a disability and was last seen wearing a khaki or gray jacket or sweater and blue pants.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department SFPD 24-hour-tip line at 1-415-575-4444, or send a text to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
