VENTURA : Police Seek Man Who Beat, Raped Woman

Ventura police investigators are searching for a man who beat and raped a Ventura woman moments after she confronted the intruder inside her home, officials said Tuesday.

Police said the woman, who was not identified because of the sexual assault, was attacked late Christmas night after she returned home from a holiday gathering.

The woman, who remained at Ventura County Medical Center in stable condition Tuesday, was beaten into unconsciousness and then raped after 10 p.m., police said.

She suffered a battered face and possibly a broken jaw as a result of the attack, Sgt. Gary McCaskill said. No motive other than burglary has been uncovered, he said.

After regaining consciousness Monday, the woman tried to call 911, but found that her phone line had been cut, officials said. She then staggered to a neighbor’s house in the 200 block of Huntington Avenue and summoned help.

Police described the assailant as a heavy-set, barrel-chested man with noticeable chest and arm hair. He is possibly about 5-foot-10. He took some items from the victim’s home, but police declined to elaborate.

Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying any suspicious people loitering in the area or any door-to-door solicitors who may have been in or around the neighborhood late Sunday.

Anyone with information is requested to call Detective Pat Stevens at 339-4400, Ext. 4471.