LASD searching for man accused of sexually assaulting woman in WeHo parking garage
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman Monday morning at a parking garage in West Hollywood.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to the 7600 block of Santa Monica Boulevard at around 1:30 a.m.
The suspect reportedly approached the victim at a bus bench and forced her to a parking garage where she was sexually assaulted, the sheriff's department said.
The man then fled, heading southbound on Fuller Avenue.
LASD described the suspect as a Black man who's about 28 years old and is 6 feet tall.
Investigators said he weighs about 210 pounds with a "muscular build" and has dark-colored eyes and a mustache.
He was last seen wearing a ski mask, a baseball cap, and a cream-colored sweater with the letters "XTC" worn over a green hoodie along with black pants and white shoes.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Special Victims Bureau tip line at (877) 710-5273.
Despite the incident, officials say the number of sexual assaults in West Hollywood has remained steady in recent years.
With an exception in 2018 of 40 sexual assaults reported in West Hollywood, the number of sexual assaults in the city since 2015 have ranged between 21 to 29, according to data from the LASD and California Department of Justice statistics.
And, in 2021, West Hollywood ranked 5th among the top 10 localities of at least 30,000 residents in Los Angeles County in terms of the rate of sexual assaults, according to local and state law enforcement data.
"I feel like its going to happen anywhere," said Alex Riley, a visitor to West Hollywood from Tennessee. "Have your head on a swivel. Just be aware of what's around you and don't be willing to honestly trust everybody, or anyone, until you know them. And be tough inside."
