The first attack happened on the 4300 block of Chicago Ave. about 10 days ago. It was 3 a.m. and detectives said the victim was just driving along minding her own business when the suspect apparently targeted her and intentionally used his SUV to bump into her car. She pulled over to exchange information, got out of the car, and that's when he struck, knocking her to the ground and assaulting her.
Police say it happened again late last week on Van Buren. Detectives think it's the same suspect. Again, the suspect hit a woman's car, she pulled over to exchange information, and he grabbed her and threw her to the sidewalk. This time police say it was a sexual assault.
Joggers in the area, like Tyesha Calhoun, say incidents like these are startling.
"Yeah, I guess people just have to use more common sense, basically, so just be more aware," said Calhoun. "Yeah, it's pretty scary though because you don't think it'll happen around here, but is."
A composite sketch of the suspect shows him as African American, early 20s to early 30s, between 5' 7" and 5' 10", between 160 and 180 pounds. He was seen in a mid-'90s SUV. In one instance it was tan. In another it was gray or dark green.
If you have information that might help police, call Riverside Police at (951) 826-5900. When asked what people should do if they find themselves in a situation like this, scared and don't know what to do, police say to pull over in a well-lit, well-populated area. If something like that isn't always available, you can always call 911, explain what the situation is and request instruction.
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