Five women have been attacked over the past six weeks while walking alone at night in North Park.
San Diego police say the most recent assault happened about 1:20 a.m. Sunday in the 2900 block of Lincoln Avenue. The victim told police she was ambushed from behind and knocked unconscious, but not robbed or sexually assaulted.
Police Lt. Mike Holden said the attack is similar to the other four reported assaults in the neighborhood.
All of the women were attacked from behind, he said, and almost all of the victims sustained some kind of facial injury.
A police sketch of a suspect in the attacks that occurred on June 17 and 21 has been released, but no one has been arrested in connection with the assaults.
Police have stepped up patrols in North Park in response to the attacks, Lt. Andra Brown of the Mid-City Division said.
Patrol officers are actively looking for suspects, she said, and following up on calls from citizens with information about possible suspects.
CBS8.com reported the North Park Citizens Patrol and SDPD told attendees of a forum Wednesday night that the groups were on alert.
“I’m flooding the area with law enforcement officers, I’ve got officers on foot, I’ve got officers on bike, I have officers in cars,” SDPD Mid-City Division Captain David Nisleit said.
“We are recruiting to make sure that the evening hours when these attacks are taking place that we have eyes and ears to the ground,” Peter Conneely with the North Park Citizens Patrol said.
Council President and District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria assured residents North Park is a great place to live and the culprits will be caught, “You have the right to feel safe in your own neighborhood.”
