Detectives probe possible link between Maywood rape suspect and string of recent sexual assaults
Detectives have identified a man suspected of breaking into a woman’s home in Maywood over the weekend and sexually assaulting her, and say he may also be responsible for a string of recent assaults, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities say that on Sunday, Salvador Martinez, 28, broke into a woman’s home near Slauson and Maywood avenues between midnight and 4 a.m. and raped her. They believe he may be linked to a series of other break-ins last month in Maywood, where two women and a 13-year-old girl were assaulted, said sheriff’s Lt. Todd Deeds.
Martinez is not in custody and remains at large, authorities say.
The attacks, which occurred over two weeks in October, have raised fears among residents and prompted city officials to offer a $5,000 reward for the suspect’s arrest.
“There is a predator who is accosting a number of females in our community that must be stopped before he attacks another victim,” City Councilman Thomas Martin said in a statement earlier this week.
If you ever find yourself with a burglar breaking into your home, stay calm and quiet but act quickly,” deputies have warned. “If you can safely escape, do so immediately. If you can’t, then hide and lock yourself in a room. Call 911 as quickly as possible and stay by the phone. If you are attacked, fight back.”
In each of the break-ins, the attacker snuck into the home in the early morning hours by removing screens from unsecured windows, authorities said.
The first alleged assault occurred about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 5 at a home in the 6100 block of King Avenue, where a woman was sitting in her living room. The man walked out of her bathroom and grabbed her breasts, the Sheriff’s Department said.
“As the unwanted sexual touching continued, the victim fought against the suspect, pushing him away and forcing him out of the house,” deputies said in a statement.
The next break-in occurred 13 days later, about a mile from the first.
Authorities said the suspect entered an apartment in the 4300 block of 53rd Street at about 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 18 as the residents slept. One of the residents woke up after hearing a door open and saw a dark silhouette and light from a cellphone.
The resident yelled at the suspect, who jumped out a window and ran.
About an hour and a half later, the suspect entered a home in the 4100 block of 53rd Street as a woman slept in her bed. She reported that she felt someone touching an “intimate body part” and woke up to find the intruder inside her bedroom.
The woman got up and ran into another room, where she locked the door and called 911. Deputies searched for the suspect, but couldn’t find him.
The next day, the suspect returned to the neighborhood.
He entered a home in the 3600 block of 53rd Street through the kitchen window and walked into the 13-year-old girl’s room. The suspect covered the girl’s mouth, but she awoke and was able to yell for help, deputies said.
The girl’s father heard the scream and confronted the suspect. He punched the man, but then fell to the floor and the suspect was able to escape through the front door, deputies said.
The suspect in those attacks is described as 5 feet 2 to 5 feet 5 tall, 18 to 20 years old, with a very thin build. He wore dark clothing and did not appear to be armed during any of the break-ins.
Detectives have not found Martinez.
Twitter: @JosephSerna and @VeronicaRochaLA
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