Police issue alert after Homewood sex assaults

Pittsburgh police on Wednesday warned Homewood residents to be on the lookout for a man suspected of sexually assaulting two women in separate incidents near Westinghouse Academy during the last two weeks.

The man is described as a black male between the ages of 45 and 55 who is either bald or has short hair, major crimes Cmdr. Victor Joseph said Wednesday. The suspect is described as having a medium build, and standing between five 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall.

He is suspected of attacking two women in the area near Belmar and Mount Vernon streets, according to police. The first incident happened around 6 a.m. June 10. The second woman was assaulted around 3:50 a.m. Wednesday.

Police found the second woman outside near the 1100 block of North Murtland Street on Wednesday, screaming and

without pants or shoes, police spokeswoman Sonya Toler said. The 32-year-old woman told officers she had been sexually assaulted near the Belmar-Mount Vernon intersection.

Police have “stepped up patrols” in the area in response to the attacks, Cmdr. Joseph said. He asked anyone with information on the attack to contact police.

“We understand residents may be scared right now, and we want them to rest assured this investigation has our full attention and our resources,” Cmdr. Joseph said.

He declined to give any details about how the attacks happened or whether the suspect used a ruse or a weapon during the assaults. He hesitated to call the attacker a “serial rapist,” but asked residents to be vigilant.

“I don’t know if you would say a serial rapist, but what I do know is we have two sexual assault crimes in the same general area and the suspect description is very similar in both,” he said.

Ms. Toler could not say whether the women knew the man who attacked them.

Cmdr. Joseph urged Homewood residents to call 911 if they see anyone who fits the suspect’s description. He also asked the suspect to turn himself in.

“It’s in his best interest to turn himself in so we can get him the help he needs,” he said. “We’re looking for him, we will find him and we will bring him to justice.”

Shelly Bradbury: 412-2631999, sbradbury@post-gazette.com. Twitter @ShellyBradbury.