West LA residents on edge after naked man assaults 63-year-old woman outside her home

WEST LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Residents in West Los Angeles are living in fear after a naked man attacked a 63-year-old woman outside her home.

Many are now afraid to step outside.

"I didn't even know she was assaulted here, and it's kind of scary that I only live a couple of apartment buildings down. You have to be cautious when you walk on one side of the street, and I just think it's unsafe," said resident Rozlon Bradley.

The horrifying scene happened Thursday afternoon near a construction site on the 2400 block of Barry Avenue.

Nearby workers heard the woman's desperate screams for help and immediately rushed to help.

"He came up from behind her. He's on top of her. He's completely naked," said Rick Dreyfus, a general contractor.

Dreyfus witnessed the terrifying scene unfold.

"So at that moment when we all took off, the next thing I saw was him running down the street naked trying to get into a car," Dreyfus said.

Police arrived on the scene and arrested the suspect.

LAPD said the man also assaulted a 3-year-old child in a nearby elevator before attacking the woman.

Residents and workers said a growing homeless encampment nearby has been causing a lot of people to fear for their safety.

"We've been complaining to the city and telling the city this is a bad situation for months. There are drugs, there are fires and there's a dog they hit around. It's extremely violent," Dreyfus said.

The area is Councilwoman Traci Park's district, and her spokesperson said the LAPD told them the suspect is not homeless and is not involved in the encampment.