Composite sketches of the serial child luring suspect, from each of the four incidents (Los Angeles Police Department)
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LOS ANGELES-- Police are looking for a predator who has been luring young girls in the Westlake district for over a year, with the latest incident occurring on Wednesday, police say.
The suspect has been "periodically approaching young girls, enticing them into apartment buildings and sexually assaulting them," according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The most recent incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, involving a 10-year-old female victim who was walking to school.
The girl was walking near Beverly Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue when she was approached by the suspect, police said.
The suspect, described by officials as "friendly," engaged the young victim in conversation before luring her into an apartment complex in the 100 block of South Commonwealth Avenue and taking her up to the roof area where he tried to sexually assault her.
Police say the girl begged the man to stop his sexual advances and pushed him away, "It is believed that the victim's persistent actions caused the suspect to stop and leave the location."
A similar incident occurred on July 10th around 7:00 p.m. in which the suspect approached a 10-year-old girl walking near Third and Hoover streets.
He lured the girl onto an apartment complex roof, but was startled by something and fled.
Police believe the same suspect is responsible for luring an 8-year-old girl on April 30, 2008 in the 600 block of South Burlington Avenue, as well as a 9-year-old girl near James M. Wood Boulevard and Hoover Street on Feb. 29, 2008.
In every instance, police say, the child predator engaged the young female victim in friendly conversation and somehow convinced them to follow him into an apartment building where he attempted to sexually assault the girls.
The suspect is described as a 25- to 45-year-old man with black hair and brown eyes.
He is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 150 to 170 pounds.
Investigators say he speaks both English and Spanish.
Anyone with information about the suspect, additional victims or witnesses was urged to contact the LAPD at (213) 485-2921 or (877) LAPD-24-7.
The suspect has been "periodically approaching young girls, enticing them into apartment buildings and sexually assaulting them," according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The most recent incident occurred around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, involving a 10-year-old female victim who was walking to school.
The girl was walking near Beverly Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue when she was approached by the suspect, police said.
The suspect, described by officials as "friendly," engaged the young victim in conversation before luring her into an apartment complex in the 100 block of South Commonwealth Avenue and taking her up to the roof area where he tried to sexually assault her.
Police say the girl begged the man to stop his sexual advances and pushed him away, "It is believed that the victim's persistent actions caused the suspect to stop and leave the location."
A similar incident occurred on July 10th around 7:00 p.m. in which the suspect approached a 10-year-old girl walking near Third and Hoover streets.
He lured the girl onto an apartment complex roof, but was startled by something and fled.
Police believe the same suspect is responsible for luring an 8-year-old girl on April 30, 2008 in the 600 block of South Burlington Avenue, as well as a 9-year-old girl near James M. Wood Boulevard and Hoover Street on Feb. 29, 2008.
In every instance, police say, the child predator engaged the young female victim in friendly conversation and somehow convinced them to follow him into an apartment building where he attempted to sexually assault the girls.
The suspect is described as a 25- to 45-year-old man with black hair and brown eyes.
He is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 150 to 170 pounds.
Investigators say he speaks both English and Spanish.
Anyone with information about the suspect, additional victims or witnesses was urged to contact the LAPD at (213) 485-2921 or (877) LAPD-24-7.
