Multiple women sexually assaulted by man on skateboard in Irvine

Irvine police have stepped up patrols in the quiet Woodbury neighborhood of Irvine after two separate women were sexually assaulted by the same man while out on evening jogs.

The first assault happened Sunday around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Groveland and Townsend. Irvine police said a man on a skateboard groped a jogger as he rode by her, and then ran away.

A second and more disturbing incident happened Monday night. At around 8:15 p.m. at the intersection of Rolling Green and Statuary, the man on the skateboard attacked a second woman who was jogging.

Police said he cane up behind her, got her on the ground, covered her mouth so she couldn't scream, and then groped her before skating away.

"We want our residents to know we are aggressively pursuing this suspect and we want to get him into custody," said Kim Mohr, a public information officer with the Irvine Police Department. "We are out there, we are monitoring these areas very closely we just want people to be aware that this person is out there, and be on heightened alert until we're able to get that suspect into custody."

The suspect was described as a white male in his early twenties, about 5 feet, 10 inches with a medium to thin build.

He was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and pants and gets around on a skateboard.

Irvine police is asking anyone with possible home surveillance video to contact them. The suspect will face felony charges if caught.

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