Woman assaulted in daylight

Deepa Bharath

A 22-year-old woman was assaulted walking in a Westside neighborhood

Thursday afternoon by two men who grabbed her from behind, pushed her

on some bushes and attempted to rape her, officials said.

The woman, who was pushing her toddler in a stroller, had just

gotten off a bus and was walking south on Victoria Street toward

Placentia Avenue at about 2:45 p.m., Costa Mesa Police Lt. John

FitzPatrick said.

He said the woman said she suddenly felt a hand grab her lower

back and another pair of hands cover her eyes.

“The men then pushed her on to some bushes while the child

remained in the stroller, unattended,” FitzPatrick said. “They forced

her down and started removing her clothes.”

Fortunately for the victim, the assailants heard passersby and

fled, he said. The victim, although shaken, did not suffer any

physical injuries, FitzPatrick said.

“We’re taking this very seriously because there have been other

similar, brazen assaults on women in the same neighborhood,” he said.

Costa Mesa police are still looking for four men suspected of

grabbing and inappropriately touching three women on separate

occasions on the same stretch of Victoria Street in early January.

All three incidents happened between the 500 and 600 blocks of

Victoria Street.

None of the victims were injured, but police said they believed

the incidents were related. In those cases, the assailants targeted

women walking alone. Two of those incidents also happened during the

day.

The alleged attackers in Thursday’s incident are said to be men

about 25 years old with dark hair. One of them was wearing a red

bandanna with a blue baseball cap and another was wearing a blue

bandanna with a similar cap, Fitzpatrick said.

Westside resident Rene Scharfe said he is outraged by these

attacks that have happened in broad daylight.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of something like this happen

at that time of day,” he said. “It’s frightening for residents who

live in this neighborhood.”

Scharfe, who has lived in the area for about 30 years, said he

would like to see more police patrol during the afternoon hours.

“That’s the time of day when you don’t see as many officers here,”

he said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@ latimes.com.