PHOENIX - A man has been grabbing women from behind, assaulting and sexually abusing them in Ahwatukee Foothills for more than a year, officials said.
In seven incidents since December 2005, seven women have been attacked in public places, including parks and golf courses in a two-mile radius of Ray Road and 48th Street, police said.
The man approaches petite women, usually between 3 and 6 p.m., police said. The most recent attack came on Aug. 11 at a shopping center.
He did not use a weapon, and if the women resisted, he fled on foot. None of the women were raped.
Authorities are urging women in the area to avoid going out alone.
"If they do want to run or jog at a park, get a partner to go with," said Phoenix police Officer Jared Charley, a community action officer in Ahwatukee Foothills. "Always carry a cell phone."
People are also reading…
Mary Conant, a co-founder of the Ahwatukee Foothills Crime Prevention Task Force, said residents should watch out for themselves and each other.
"People should not worry about this situation," she said. "I think they should do things to be more proactive, be sure to travel with a friend, be smart. . . . It's a good wake-up call for all of us to be more educated, whether if it is to take a self-defense class or start a block watch on their street."
The man committing the attacks is described as 25 to 45 years old, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 2, bald or balding and possibly has a tattoo on the top of his right hand, police said.
