Santa Rosa police release sketch of man sought in downtown groping

Police on Wednesday released a sketch of a man being sought on suspicion of groping a woman during an attempted robbery in a downtown Santa Rosa neighborhood.

The woman called 911 about 11:30 p.m. June 9 to report a man attacked her after she parked her car near her home on South E Street, Sgt. Terry Anderson said. The man pinned her against a wall and tried to grab her purse. She prevented him from getting a hold of the bag, and then he put his hand under her shirt and in her pants, Anderson said. The woman struggled to stop him and kicked him in the groin, at which point he fled.

A sketch artist met with the woman Tuesday and used her description of the man - a white male in his 30s wearing a white or light-colored hooded shirt and shoes and carrying a dark backpack.

She also told police he “had an unpleasant odor,” Anderson said.

The Sonoma County Alliance’s “Take Back Our Community Program” is offering up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of a suspect. Anyone with information about the case can call 707-543-4040 or email Detective Hiroshi Yaguchi at hyaguchi@srcity.org.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 707-521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.