Authorities seek tips in manhunt

A 32-year-old woman was sexually assaulted early Sunday morning after a man got in her car at a Henderson intersection and forced her at gunpoint to drive to a nearby park where the assault occurred, police said.

The suspect then fled on foot.

Henderson police are asking for help locating the man, described as muscular and clean shaven, with a dark complexion and a deep scar from his right ear to the edge of his lip.

"This is obviously somebody we would like to get off the streets," said Keith Paul, a Henderson Police Department spokesman.

The victim was stopped about 6:10 a.m. Sunday at a red light at Seven Hills Drive and Sunridge Heights Parkway, an upscale residential area in the southeast valley. A man holding a handgun then got into the passenger side of her silver Dodge Stratus.

Police said the woman was ordered to drive to Vivaldi Park, where the sexual assault occurred.

Paul would not release details about the assault but said police think the attack was random.

Sexual assaults in Henderson have risen slightly this year. As of Oct. 1, there were 59 reported sexual assaults in the city, Paul said.

The figure represents a 23 percent increase over the same time period last year, in which 48 similar incidents were reported.

"The best advice is always be aware of your surroundings and, if at all possible, keep your doors locked," Paul said, adding that the woman's doors had not been locked.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call Henderson police at 267-4750 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.