Attack on woman in Wrigleyville could be related to earlier case

SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE - A man who sexually assaulted a woman and forced her into the trunk of her vehicle Thursday night in the Wrigleyville neighborhood could be the same person who committed a similar attack in February on the North Side.

In the most recent attack, a 24-year-old woman was exiting a garage about 8:20 p.m. Thursday in the 3700 block of North Fremont when a man approached and showed a gun, Chicago Police said. The man ordered the woman to give him her belongings, then forced her into the trunk of her Mazda, where he sexually assaulted her.

The man then drove to several locations on the Far South Side trying to withdraw money from ATMs, before he crashed the vehicle in a tree in the 11500 block of South Throop and ran off, police said. The woman was able to escape from the trunk and call for help. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The attacker was described as black man 24-35, about 5-foot-10 and 160-200 pounds, police said. He had a scruffy goatee and thin mustache; and wore a red, zip-up jacket with brown pants.

Police said he could be the same person who attacked a woman about a week earlier in the Lake View neighborhood.

In that case, a 25-year-old woman was walking to her vehicle about midnight Feb. 28 in the 1200 block of West Barry when a man approached with a gun, police said. He demanded money and forced her inside her vehicle, where he sexually assaulted her.

The offender in that attack was described as a black man 25-35, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and 150-170 pounds, police said. He had short black hair and a short beard or “scruff.” He wore a brown or green sleeveless vest and colored pants.

Anyone with information should call Area North detectives at (312) 744-6999.