Man Held in Attacks on 6 Women in 1 Day

Laguna Beach police arrested a man Thursday suspected of sexually assaulting half a dozen women in Sunset Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach earlier in the day, authorities said.

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, apparently attacked and fondled women at their homes and on the streets. He was finally arrested in Laguna Beach and booked on suspicion of sexual assault, Police Lt. Darin Lenyi said.

The first incident happened at 1:40 a.m. in Sunset Beach where a 46-year-old woman living in the 16000 block of South Pacific Street was assaulted at her residence by an intruder, Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Richard Paddock said.

The woman was standing in her kitchen when the suspect grabbed her and tried to pull her to the floor, Paddock said, but the woman’s boyfriend, who was at the home, heard screams and fought off the suspect, who fled.

Police described that suspect as white, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and 30 to 35 years old.

A similar description was given later in the two attacks in Newport Beach, officials said.

At 3:15 a.m., a woman sleeping on the couch at her home in the 100 block of 14th Street awoke when she heard a knock on the door, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Doug Thomas. Apparently, the woman thought it was her boyfriend and opened the door to find a stranger asking for a cup of sugar, some milk and flour. The man then tried to push his way into her home, but the woman was able to slam the door on him, Thomas said. The suspect was not seen again.

About five minutes later, a man approached a woman in an alley near the 1600 block of West Ocean Front, only a couple of blocks away from 14th Street, Thomas said.

The man asked the woman for the time and then wrestled her to the ground and tried to assault her, Thomas said, but she managed to escape and contacted police.

Thursday afternoon in Laguna Beach, police received reports of three incidents in which a man approached female joggers to ask for the time. In each incident, he fondled the women and then fled, Lenyi said.

“After several reports, one of our officers spotted him and a short foot pursuit ensued,” he said.

The man was apprehended and booked in connection with all six incidents. He was being held Thursday night at the Orange County Jail.