Berkeley, July 17: Detectives in Berkeley are searching for two suspects they believe broke into two separate homes Thursday morning and sexually assaulted a girl and a woman asleep in their own beds, according to police.
Patrol officers responded to a reported sexual assault at a home in the 2100 block of Cedar Street at around 2:30 a.m., according to the Berkeley Police Department.
A teenage girl told police she woke up with a man straddling her and lifting her shirt. According to police, the victim’s mother was asleep in the same bed, and she reported waking up and fighting the suspect until he fled.
The suspect was described as a male, 16 to 20 twenty years old, between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall, and was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
Officers responded to a second sexual assault reported at 7:24 a.m. in the 2600 block of Hillegas Avenue, police reported. A college-aged woman told police she woke up with a man on top of her. She fought off the attacker and until he fled, according to police.
The suspect in the later assault was described as a black man around 19 to 22 years old, around 5 feet 6 inches tall, and was wearing a gray sweatshirt with no hood and blue jeans.
Police reported that in each case the suspects had entered the homes through doors or windows that were unlocked and reminded residents to always keep homes securely closed.
Anyone with information regarding either incident is asked to contact the Berkeley police sex crimes detail at (510) 981-5734. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call Bay Area Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.
To report an assault that has just occurred call 911 or the Berkeley police dispatch at (510) 981-5911.
–Agencies