Palo Alto Sexual Battery Suspect's Photo Released

SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA -- Police in Palo Alto have released a photo of a suspect believed to be involved in a sexual battery Wednesday night.

Police said the suspect sexually battered a woman as she walked near downtown Palo Alto.

Officers with the Palo Alto Police Department responded Wednesday at 9:17 p.m. to the 200 block of Alma Street after a woman reported she had just been the victim of a sexual battery.

The victim, who is in her 20s, had gotten off a bus at the Palo Alto Transit Station at 95 University Avenue and started walking north on Alma Street when she noticed a man walking behind her, police said.

The man then ran up to her from behind and grabbed her crotch over her clothing, police said.

The victim screamed, and the suspect fled the area.

The victim chased after the suspect, but she lost sight of him on High Street.

She was not injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned man in his 30s or 40s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and with a medium build. He was wearing a green jacket with dark loose-fitting pants and possibly a beanie.

Investigators located a surveillance camera that recorded the suspect a short time after the incident occurred, police said.

By Bay City News/Image via Palo Alto police