x
Breaking News
More () »

Police: Sex assault suspect caught on camera

Police are searching for a man they say is a suspect in sexual assaults that happened on the west side of Davenport, Iowa.

Davenport Police are looking for the suspect in two sexual assaults that happened within 30 minutes of each other on Memorial Day weekend.

Video surveillance was released Wednesday of one of the attacks.

Police just now released the video because, they say, they've exhausted all their leads.

"Unparalleled,” said Det. Karl Dresek, with the Davenport Police Department. “We just don't have them (attacks) happen like this."

Surveillance video taken outside of an iWireless store on 3rd Street shows what could be every parent’s worst nightmare.

A man, following a teenage girl down the street, starts running and then, according to police, sexually assaults her.

"That's not something you want to see every day," said Chris Shumaker, the owner of the store.

He says it's uncharacteristic of his neighborhood.

"You don't have a whole lot of crime down here other than petty stuff," said Shumaker.

What surprised Davenport Police even more was the random nature of the attack and the fact that, they say, the same man struck again, minutes later, attacking another girl who was also walking alone through a tunnel on Howell Street.

She was also sexually assaulted.

The tunnel, which some people say is a hangout for teens, happens to be a couple of hundred feet away from Smart Intermediate School.

"I've lived in this neighborhood 14 years, taken a lot of kids to and from school, been over there for one reason or another,” said Nancy Harris, who lives in the neighborhood. “It's always given me an eerie feeling.

 It's that feeling, police say, you shouldn't ignore.

"If you think something's happening or if you get that feeling that something isn't right, act on it,” said Dresek.

One of the victims had to go to the hospital although we don't know the extent of her injuries.

Both victims are under 18.

Police are looking for a white male in his mid-20's, between 5-8 and 5-10, with a right forearm tattoo described as looking like lightning or a flame. He may also have an upper back tattoo.

Before You Leave, Check This Out