The home invasion and rape happened at about 4 p.m. Thursday in a complex on the 12500 block of Culver Boulevard near Centinela Avenue.
Investigators described the suspect as white male in his late 30s or 40s weighing about 200 pounds and about 5 feet 11 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. He drove off in a silver Nissan coupe.
Police said the victim said she had locked her door, so how the suspect got into the building and into her apartment is under investigation. Authorities say once inside the apartment, the suspect raped the woman in the shower. Officials said the victim did not know her attacker.
Other tenants in the building said they did not hear anything unusual, according to the apartment manager. The victim was treated at an area hospital.
There are security cameras that may yield more clues for detectives. Some residents say they feel secure living in the complex, but the sexual assault on their neighbor is alarming.
After living in the area for 35 years, one man is worried about the safety of his neighborhood.
"It makes you a little bit nervous because, you know, my wife gets a little upset, and who knows what went on, we don't know," said neighbor Dan Hennenberger.
If you have any information about this case, you're urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at (877) LAPD-24-7 or (877) 527-3247.
