Man posing as officer sought in sexual assaults

A man posing as an undercover officer has been sexually assaulting prostitutes in Santa Ana, police said Friday.

At least one violent attack occurred in August and two others in January along Harbor Boulevard, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Authorities fear there could be more victims and are asking for the public’s help in identifying the man.

“Prostitutes don’t often report crime because of their fears of getting caught by law enforcement,” Bertagna said. “They don’t want to draw more attention to themselves.”

In each of the attacks, the man posed as an undercover officer. Police said the man approached the women on Harbor Boulevard, started talking to them and eventually forced them into his car.

From there, police said, the man drove the women to a remote area and sexually assaulted them. To convince the women he was an officer, the man carried a police scanner, Bertagna said. Investigators are concerned that the attacker’s actions could become more violent.

The man is described as white in his mid-40s, 5 feet 7 inches tall to 6 feet tall with blond or gray hair and blue eyes. His vehicle was described as a new blue, fourdoor Nissan or an older black two-door Subaru or similar-looking hatchback.