SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego Police are searching for a man suspected of attacking and sexually assaulting a woman in a public restroom in Mission Bay’s De Anza Cove Sunday night.
According to police, the woman told investigators that she had just finished using the restroom when she was attacked from behind.
A passerby who entered the bathroom found the woman after the attack; the suspected attacker had already left the area when the victim was found, police said.
Officers and SDPD Sex Crimes Unit detectives responded to the scene. SDPD said the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries.
A close friend of the victim told ABC 10News the incident occurred during a church family barbecue at the park.
“We were enjoying the bay. It was a nice sunny day,” the friend said. “One of our friends had gone to the restroom and somebody came in behind her, they grabbed her by the hair and sexually assaulted her.”
The close friend said that the group was gathered at a fire pit near the public bathroom when the victim went to use the facility.
“It’s just really devastating for all of our friends and family that were around because we were about 50 feet away,” the close friend said.
“A lot of the ladies that were with us were in and out of the restroom and we didn’t think anything of it,” the friend added. “We didn’t really notice suspicious or anything. But it was just sad that she went to the restroom alone. And this person, I’m sure, it’s not their first time doing this.”
According to police, the suspected attacker was described as a darker-skinned male who had a blue mountain bike with black rims and silver spokes with him.
No other details were released, and police noted that detectives were “gathering evidence.”
The victim’s friend said, “She just been through so much. She’s a diabetic, she’s a cancer survivor. Just to add another thing; it’s horrible. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the San Diego Police Sex Crimes Unit or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
The close friend told ABC 10News that friends and family are looking and asking for photos from that day to see if the attacker is possibly in the background and can be identified.
