$35,000 Reward Offered for Echo Park-Silver Lake Sexual Predator

ECHO PARK, CA - A $35,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of a brazen sexual predator linked to attacks Echo Park, Downtown, East Hollywood and Silver Lake/Sunset area.

The Los Angeles Police Department will hold a press conference Tuesday outlining the reward and the details surrounding the attacks. Earlier this month, detectives released details about two attacks in Echo Park and and East Hollywood, but the suspect has apparently since been linked to several others.

The East Hollywood crime occurred about 12:20 p.m. Aug.1 in an apartment complex in the 800 block of North Mariposa Street.

"The suspect entered the victim's apartment front door that she left unlocked while she walked over to the apartment's laundry room," a police statement said.

"The victim returned around five minutes later, and when she opened the door she observed the suspect standing behind the door," police said. "The suspect approached victim, covered her mouth with one of his hands and pushed her against a wall causing her to fall to the floor."

The woman screamed, scaring the suspect off.

The Echo Park attack occurred about 90 minutes later, when the suspect entered an apartment complex in the 1600 block of Cortez Street, police said.

"The suspect entered the victim's apartment front door that was left unlocked while the victim was inside her residence," police said.

"The victim heard her front door open and heard her dogs barking aggressively," police said. "The victim exited her room and walked toward her living room and observed the suspect inside her apartment."

The man approached the woman, put his hand inside her blouse, and began to fondle her breasts, police said.
"When the victim attempted to pull away the suspect pinned the victim against the couch," police said. "The victim's dogs intervened and attempted to bite the suspect's leg causing (him) to lift his leg off the ground. The victim used that opportunity to push the suspect away and out of the apartment."

Surveillance video revealed that it was the same suspect in both incidents, police said.

The man was described as black, 25-30 years of age, about 6 feet tall, and weighing about 170-190 pounds. He had black hair, and was wearing an olive green shirt with a picture of the Virgin Mary on it, blue jeans and white shoes. Police will release security footage of the attacker Wednesday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to call Rampart Station detectives at (213) 484-3487 or (213) 484-3486; or (877) LAPD-247.

City News Service