Santa Rosa sexual assault was a rare stranger attack, police say

A woman walking along Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa on Saturday night was grabbed from behind, pushed into bushes and sexually assaulted by a stranger, Santa Rosa police said Tuesday, offering new details about an attack that so far has resulted in no arrests.

The woman had been listening to music as she walked north near Ridgway Avenue at about 10:15 p.m., Santa Rosa Detective Sgt. Terry Anderson said Tuesday.

“He came up from behind, grabbed her in the crotch, lifted her up and pushed her into bushes,” Anderson said. “He didn’t rape her, but a significant sexual assault did occur. There was penetration.”

The attack lasted a minute or so, and she fought, got away and called 911. The woman, in her early 30s, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The assault was a rare stranger attack, Anderson said. “The vast, vast majority are somebody known to the victim.”

On Saturday, it was dark in the area where the woman was assaulted, and she didn’t get a good look at the man.

The victim described the assailant as Latino, in his 20s, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. He had a thin build, possible facial hair or a goatee, and was wearing a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt and dark pants, police said.

Detectives still are hoping to develop a sketch of a suspect to distribute, Anderson said.

“It’s very shocking to the community and to us,” he said. “We don’t see this very often. We put a lot of emphasis in trying to solve these.”

Christine Castillo, executive director of Verity rape crisis and healing center, said the largest percentage of sexual attacks are by someone the victim “knows or are familiar with. They don’t have to be a close person.”

Castillo offered tips to reduce the risk of attack by a lurking assailant, such as walking in lighted areas and being aware of surroundings. It’s also advisable to have your cellphone with 911 on automatic dial, she said.

Anderson said there are occasional assaults that take place on creek trails, with strangers groping women.

“Some guy sees a woman jogging and grabs her backside or exposes himself,” is how he described the typical scenario.

But the weekend attack on Mendocino Avenue was more egregious. He said there was a similar assault that took place near the intersection of Mendocino and College avenues more than a year ago, although he didn’t have details on Tuesday.

In August 2015, a Santa Rosa Junior College student reported being attacked in a campus bathroom by an unknown masked man who pushed her against the wall and sexually assaulted her. No arrest has been reported in that case.

Anderson asked anyone with information to ?contact detectives at 707-543-3595.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.