Suspect sought in series of break-ins and sexual assaults in Maywood
Authorities are seeking a man who they believe has broken into at least five Maywood residences and tried to assault women.
The latest incident occurred Saturday about 4 a.m. in the 3500 block of East 58th Street. The intruder forced his way into a home, entered the victim’s bedroom and covered her mouth. The victim’s mother heard a noise and went into the room to see if something was wrong, which prompted the attacker to flee.
Saturday’s incident was similar to the others, which also occurred early in the morning. So far, the intruder has been chased away each time.
Based on witness accounts, detectives describe the assailant as a man in his 20s, between 5 foot 2 inches and 5 foot 5 inches tall with a thin build.
The first reported incident occurred about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 5, in the 6100 block of King Avenue.
“As the victim sat in her living room, the suspect emerged from her bathroom hallway, approached her and grabbed her breasts,” according to a release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “The victim fought against the suspect, pushing him away and forcing him out of the house.”
Thirteen days later, an intruder entered an apartment on the 4300 block of 53rd Street around 2:30 a.m. A male resident awoke to the sound of a door opening and to the sight of a dark silhouette and the glow of a cellphone. The man yelled and the intruder fled through a window.
About an hour and a half later, an intruder — detectives believe it was the same man — entered a nearby residence. A woman at the home awoke to the sensation of “someone touching an intimate body part,” the Sheriff’s Department said. The woman ran, locked herself in a bedroom and called 911.
When deputies arrived, they couldn’t find the intruder.
The following day, at about 4:30 a.m., an intruder entered a residence in the 3600 block of 53rd Street. He entered a bedroom and covered the mouth of a girl as she lay sleeping. The girl woke up and called for help, prompting her father to run into the room.
“The father confronted the suspect and punched him before losing balance and falling to the floor,” the department said.
Once again the intruder fled.
In the first four incidents, the intruder removed a window screen and then entered the homes through an unsecured window. A department spokesman did not have information about how the intruder entered the home in the Saturday incident.
Anyone with information on the crimes can contact the sheriff’s East Los Angeles Station Detective Bureau at (323) 264-4151 or call anonymously at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).
Twitter: @howardblume
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