VISTA, Calif. -- Authorities asked the public for help Tuesday in identifying and tracking down a smelly, disheveled man who accosted and grabbed a North County resident on her front porch last week.

The assailant approached the victim as she was inside the enclosed patio at her home on Olive Avenue in Vista about 1 p.m. Friday, told her she was pretty and demanded to come inside, sheriff's Detective Jason Vickery said.

The woman responded by ordering the stranger to leave and turning around to go into her home. At that point, the man opened the resident's screen door, entered the porch, grabbed her arm and threatened to "gut" her, according to Vickery.

The victim fought back, punching the intruder several times while screaming for help. After her dogs ran over and began attacking the man, he fled.

The woman described the assailant as foul-smelling, about 6 feet tall and 330 pounds, with a protruding belly, greasy collar-length hair and a faded tattoo on the inside of his right forearm.

The man, who appeared to possibly be homeless, was wearing green sweat pants and a white T-shirt with a blue typographical "at" symbol -- @ -- on the front.

The victim helped investigators create a composite rendering of the perpetrator's face.

Anyone with information on the man's identity or similar incidents was asked to call sheriff's communications at 858-565-5200.