SEATTLE — Seattle police are searching for a suspected prowler who entered a house near the University of Washington (UW) early Sunday morning and assaulted a woman inside.
New video sent to KING 5 shows a man attempting to enter a home near the UW campus just after 2:30 a.m. on May 27. The victim in this case said she thinks it might have been the same man.
During the incident in May, the woman yelled at the man through her Ring camera. She told KING 5 she fears for her safety and asked to remain anonymous.
The woman said the man tried to break into her home again in July.
“I was really scared, and I was also really, you know, pissed, like mad, I think it’s gross and disgusting,” she said.
The woman said she thinks this is the same man involved in the Sunday home invasion along 18th Avenue Northeast, just north of UW. In that incident, police said a woman was assaulted. Officers responded to the area but were not able to find the suspect.
“He had some of the same patterns. He would come to our house at like 2 a.m., came back at like 4 a.m. and I heard that’s what happened on Sunday,” the woman said.
Police are trying to determine if these incidents are connected.
In the meantime, students said they’re nervous.
“There’s a sense in the atmosphere that things are dangerous, things are scary and you need to protect yourself and you need to be ready for anything and you’re always thinking, 'Oh it’s not going to happen to me,' but in this area where we are it very well can,” UW junior Emily Scott said.
According to UW’s website, the Seattle Police Department is deploying emphasis patrols in the U District at night until 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday for the next several weeks. UW will also fund a trained security patrol, that is not armed, to walk throughout the University District from 10 p.m. until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
UW said the city is also looking at implementing brighter lighting throughout the parking lots and alleys in the area.
A UW spokesperson emailed KING 5 a statement regarding Sunday’s incident that read:
“This is a deeply frightening incident for our students and for the greater community living north of campus. UW staff are supporting the students involved with connections to counseling and other resources. We hope Seattle police can quickly locate this individual. We are grateful to see that SPD’s emphasis patrols assigned as of this past week include the area along University Way NE and the Greek Row neighborhood.
"We're asking our UW community to stay vigilant, keep doors and windows locked, and report any suspicious activity to police. Seattle Police Department is handling the investigation for this incident and specific questions should be directed to that department.”
“I’d love to live here my whole life, and get a job here, but I feel like the way it is right now, it’s not really something I could do because of how dangerous it is. So, it’s really sad and breaks my heart,” Scott said.
Police had no updates as of Monday afternoon on Sunday’s incident. Anyone who sees or has any information about the suspect is asked to contact police at their tip line, (206) 233-5000.