Suspect sought in four sex assaults

Las Vegas police seek the public's help in identifying a man who has attacked at least four women since early May.

The attacks occurred in the southern valley, west of Interstate 15, police Lt. Rob Lundquist said Thursday. The first assault occurred on May 9. The most recent assault was on June 19.

Lundquist said three of the attacks happened in areas near Flamingo Road, between Arville Street and Valley View Boulevard.

The fourth attack occurred near Arville and Spring Mountain Road.

Lundquist said the suspect's method of operation was similar in each assault. He approached women in his compact car, described as red or maroon, and asked whether they needed a ride. The women were either walking on the street or waiting at a bus stop when the suspect pulled up next to them, Lundquist said.

The man has been described as polite by some of his victims.

"On two of the four occasions, he was able to gain the trust of the victims, who willingly got into a vehicle," Lundquist said.

He added that in the other two cases, the suspect forcibly grabbed the women and put them in his car. In one case, he yanked the victim by her hair, Lundquist said. The attacks occurred in the suspect's car, police said. A weapon was not used in any of the assaults.

Lundquist said the suspect's victims have all been white women between the ages of 18 and 30. Three of the four assaults occurred between 4:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. One occurred about 4:30 p.m.

Three of the women were able to escape from the suspect and call police. The suspect released one woman after he raped her, Lundquist said.

Although the suspect groped his victims, police said he raped just one.

The suspect, a Hispanic man, is between the ages of 20 and 30. He stands between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He weighs between 170 and 200 pounds.

Lundquist said there might be other women who have been victimized by the suspect who have not yet come forward. Because sexual assault is a traumatic crime, Lundquist said, some victims might be ashamed or embarrassed. He made a personal plea for hesitant victims to contact police.

"This is not your fault. It's not your fault that this happened to you," Lundquist said. "It may be embarrassing, but as a law enforcement entity, our job is, number one, to make sure you're safe."

If arrested, police said the suspect could be charged with attempted sexual assault, sexual assault and kidnapping.

Lundquist urged the public to be aware of their surroundings and walk with others when possible. He stressed that people should never get into cars with strangers.

Lundquist said he hopes the information and the suspect sketch will jar someone who knows or recognizes him.

"Everybody in this community knows somebody," Lundquist said. "We're hoping that somebody takes a look at these sketches and looks at the vehicle information, and that brings some recollection to their mind, 'Hey, I might know this individual.' "

Anyone with information about the suspect is urged to call Las Vegas police's Sexual Assault Detail at 828-3307 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@review journal.com or 702-383-4638.