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Home break-in, alleged groping in Little Italy

A man sneaked into a Little Italy apartment early Thursday and sexually assaulted a resident before being chased away by her  boyfriend and escaping into the night.
Home break-in, alleged groping in Little Italy

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - A man sneaked into a Little Italy apartment early Thursday and sexually assaulted a resident before being chased away by her  boyfriend and escaping into the night.

It happened around 1:45 Thursday morning at an apartment complex at the 2400 block of India Street.

Police say the woman was asleep in her bed with her boyfriend when she was groped by the suspect. They say she screamed for help and her boyfriend chased after the suspect, then called 911. 

Neighbors say many women who live at the apartment complex are now on high alert. 

"These buildings are old.  I don't even have screens in mine. This is my first place outside of college and I'm 20 feet away. It could've happened to me and I've been here for three years," Courtney Kiesel, said.

Police circulated a composite drawing of the suspect, who was was described as a roughly 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound white or Hispanic man in his late mid-20s to early 30s, with brown eyes, brown medium-length hair, a beard and a mustache.

He was wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Sex Crimes detectives say the man crept into the apartment unit after sliding open a bedroom window.

He then escaped through a front gate of the apartment complex.  

Detectives say the building is older and the couple left the window slightly open because there's no air-conditioning. They warn everyone to lock all doors and windows as a safety measure. 

 Anyone with information about the case was asked to call San Diego  County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or contact the agency online at  sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a  reward of up to $1,000.

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