Police release sketch of serial sex assault suspect | News

ATLANTA -- Atlanta Police released a sketch Monday of a man suspected in as many as seven sexual assaults in Buckhead apartment complexes.

The most recent attack happened sometime after 4 a.m. Saturday in an apartment near Lindbergh Drive. The victim told police she awoke to the man fondling her and making suggestive comments.

The suspect also stole a laptop computer from the victim's apartment, according to Atlanta Police Lt. Janet Brady. 

The victim described her attacker as a black man, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a dark complexion. He wore a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored pants during the assault.

The attack is similar to several other crimes that occurred in Buckhead since late 2009. Six of the incidents happened since January 2011. In each case, the victims said a man touched them inappropriately in their apartments and stole some of their property before leaving. There were no signs of forced entry in any of the cases:

* Dec. 6, 2009: Peachtree Park Drive
* Jan. 1, 2011: Lenox Road
* Jan. 5, 2011: Peachtree Park Drive
* Jan. 19, 2011: Peachtree Park Drive
* Oct. 31, 2011: Lindbergh Drive
* Nov. 12, 2011: Peachtree Park Drive

"We're encouraging everyone to keep their doors and windows locked at their apartments and just be very vigilant if you see anyone in the area," said Zone 2 Commander Maj. Van Hobbs.

"We have increased our patrols in the area, and we also make sure at roll call that every officer is given a copy of that sketch so they have it with them at all times," Maj. Hobbs added.

A woman told 11Alive's Kevin Rowson she was a victim of the same suspect at the Lindbergh Drive apartments. "This looks similar to the man that was in my apartment that night," she said of the sketch.

The victim didn't want to be identified but said the suspect did not sexually assault her when he woke her up at 3 a.m.

"I was asleep in my bed, and he was standing over my bed, and I woke up and he quickly ran out of the front door," she said.

The woman said she was moving out of the apartment in part because of the incident. "It made me more frightened; it made me more aware of my surroundings and security," she said.

In every incident, the suspect gets into apartments behind locked doors with no sign of forced entry. That's what one resident of the Lindbergh apartments said scares her most.

"I lock my doors, I have an alarm and to find out that he's getting in with no sign of forced entry is frightening and I don't know what you do differently to protect yourself," Alice Snedeker said.

Lt. Brady said police are looking into the possibility the suspect has access to keys to the apartments he breaks in to.

Management at the Lindbergh apartments, where the latest incident took place, sent a flyer out to residents warning them to take steps to protect themselves.

Anyone with information in any of these cases is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kgrowson