Two women fought off a sexual predator, but that suspect is still on the loose according to the Omaha police department. Now police hope a surveillance picture that will help him get off the streets.
On April 3rd at 1:10a.m. OPD was called to 37th and Jackson streets to a reported disturbance of a 25-year-old woman yelling for help. Police said the woman was knocked down by a man and was sexually assaulted.
“Put his hands up her shirt and down her pants, she fought him off--she screamed until someone else in the area heard her and came outside and scared the suspect--he fled the area,” said Officer Jessica Swanson.
A similar story on Tuesday, April 5th just before midnight at Creighton University’s Heider Hall. A 19-year-old woman said a man grabbed her from behind and forced her onto the ground and sexually assaulted her.
“She fought, she screamed until someone else noticed and scared the suspect off,” said Swanson.
Both times the suspect ran away when someone else comes for help.
“If someone comes up behind you, and grabs you from behind they don't want a confrontation they want to take you to the ground, they want you to be compliant and in this case the women did exactly what they were supposed to do,” said Swanson.
Swanson thanks the two women for coming forward on a horrific experience like this so they can catch the suspect.
“It bothers them so much so that they don't want to come to us, they don't want to report it--but you have to remember--a suspect like in this case who targets a certain type of person or tried to victimize others probably has other victims,” said Swanson.
Swanson said the suspect’s description according to the victim on Creighton’s campus is a man in his 30s, about 200 pounds wearing a dark bandana with white markings covering his face, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark pants with light-colored soles.
“We want to identify them, we want to help them, we want to put this person away--so they can't hurt anyone else,” said Swanson.
If you have any information regarding this investigation, you are urged to contact the Special Victims Unit at 402-444-5636 or Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP (7867). You may be eligible for a cash reward if your tips leads to an arrest of up to $1,000.
