Investigators said that on Nov. 4, the suspect picked the woman up from her home in Riverside and took her to a CVS store on the 4700 block of West Rosecrans Avenue in Hawthorne to buy alcohol. The two then drove to a nearby apartment, where the rape took place, according to detectives.
"She didn't want to have sexual intercourse with him. He assaulted her a little bit, and then he forced himself on her and forced her to have sex," said Hawthorne Police Lt. Scott Swain.
Following the attack, the suspect then drove the victim home.
The victim told police she wasn't sure where the apartment was, but that it took about three to four minutes to get there from the store. She said the suspect's apartment was inside a small tan complex that had 10 to 12 units and an open-air parking area in the middle of the property.
The man used the name "Cardon" and told the woman he moved to Southern California from Atlanta and works at a law firm.
Police released surveillance photos of the suspect taken at the CVS store. He was described as an African-American man, about 25 years old, with a thin muscular build. He stands about 6 feet tall and speaks with a slight southern accent, investigators said.
The suspect was driving a 2010 or 2011 silver Jeep Commander. Anyone with information was asked to call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Hawthorne police said they don't know of any similar crimes in the area. They said they have some good leads in the case and are looking at a possible suspect.
