San Clemente Girl, 13, Raped While at Home : Crime: Police believe her attacker may be the same man who kidnaped and assaulted a mentally retarded woman in the area last month.

A 13-year-old girl was blindfolded, gagged and raped while home alone Saturday night, and police on Sunday were still searching for the rapist, who fled when the girl’s mother returned home and interrupted the attack.

San Clemente police said Sunday that the sexual assault may be linked to the kidnaping of a woman about a month ago in the same area. Investigators have no suspects and only a vague description of the assailant, Sgt. Richard Downing said.

The girl, who lives in the Broadmore residential area in the hills above San Clemente High School, heard the doorbell ring about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Downing said. As she approached the unlocked door, a man came in, immediately covered her eyes with his hands and forced her into another room.

The attacker tied the girl’s hands with material found in the house and blindfolded and gagged her before raping her, Downing said.

The man fled when the girl’s mother returned home. “The mother did not see him,” Downing said. “He ran out the front door when the mother came in, and she found her daughter tied up and gagged.”

The mother reported the attack at 8:39 p.m., prompting a search of the neighborhood around Avenida Presidio. San Clemente officers were aided by a Sheriff’s Department helicopter and police dogs.

The only description police have of the attacker is that he is Caucasian, about 20 years old, and had a few days’ growth of beard.

“She reports that she did not know her attacker, and we don’t have a suspect at this time,” Downing said. “She did not get a good look at him. He put his hands right over her eyes, and then he blindfolded her.”

The unidentified girl was not injured beyond the sexual assault and was not hospitalized, police said.

In the first week of October, a 29-year-old mentally retarded woman was kidnaped near Avenida Pico by a man in a blue van and held for about eight hours. She was blindfolded and tied up, taken to an unknown apartment, stripped of her clothing and fondled, but she told police she was not raped, Downing said. She was released in the Dana Point area.

Police said they have few details about the incident because the victim has the mental capacity of a 10-year-old and is in a convalescent home.

“We believe it is the same person who did this other one,” Downing said. “It looks like it matches the description and MO.”

Police said they will step up patrols in the neighborhood.

“Until we can get more information on this, children that walk to school should walk in pairs,” Downing said. “Children should be warned not to answer the door when they are left home alone. People need to keep doors locked and chained and know who’s there before they answer it.”