SANTA ROSA (BCN) — Santa Rosa police say a man tried to sexually assault a woman in south Santa Rosa late Wednesday night.
The assault happened around 10:30 p.m. in a parking lot of an apartment complex near Burt Street and Park Creek Drive, Sgt. Terry Anderson said.
The woman was walking around her car to get packages from the passenger side when a man grabbed her from behind, placed a knife or sharp object against her neck and put his hand over her mouth, Anderson said.
The man told the woman not to make any noise and tried to unfasten her pants, but he fled when the woman pushed the panic button on her key fob that set off the car horn, Anderson said.
The woman locked herself into her car, called police and waited for them to arrive. Police did not find the suspect.
The woman suffered a minor injury to her neck during the incident and was treated at a hospital, Anderson said.
The woman said the suspect was about 5 feet 5 inches or taller, smelled ‘musty’ and spoke English with an unknown accent, Anderson said.
There are several large apartment complexes, residential neighborhoods and a small business strip in the surrounding area, Anderson said.
Police are asking anyone who has a surveillance video system in the area that might have captured an image of the suspect to call a voicemail tip line at (707) 543-4040.