WATCH: Do you recognize this man? Video surveillance shows sexual assault suspect at Harker Middle School. (Courtesy of San Jose Police Department) CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing the video on your mobile device.

SAN JOSE — Police are renewing calls for public tips to identify and find a man they say sexually assaulted and robbed a teacher at Harker Middle School early Tuesday, not long before class was set to resume after the winter break.

“We have gotten very few calls,” San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia said. “We want to encourage the community to help us find this guy and take him off the streets. Don’t assume someone else is going to call in your tip.”

The female teacher was attacked around 6 a.m. in a classroom on the campus at 3800 Blackford Avenue, about a half mile from the intersection of Moorpark and Saratoga avenues, school spokeswoman Pam Dickinson said. Students typically arrive between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

“This teacher came in early to eagerly prepare her classroom for the first day of school today after the winter break,” Dickinson said.

In a statement Tuesday night, the school said it was “saddened and upset” by the attack and “leaning in to provide support and privacy to our employee and each other.”

“We are cooperating fully with the authorities and providing them any support needed to help in finding the perpetrator,” the statement said.

Investigators said there was no evidence indicating any connection between the victim and the suspect.

“She did not know her attacker,” Garcia said. “We’re trying to figure out why he targeted her. This is definitely a sexual assault by a stranger.”

San Jose police were notified of the attack within a half-hour. The suspect was last seen walking toward Boynton Avenue and was described as a Latino man in his 20s with a heavy build, wearing a black beanie, dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt.

Police publicly released surveillance camera images and video footage of the suspect with the hopes someone might recognize him. Alerts were sent out to social-media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor.

Video courtesy of the San Jose Police Department shows the sexual assault suspect at Harker Middle School.

Video courtesy of the San Jose Police Department shows the sexual assault suspect at Harker Middle School.

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Video courtesy of the San Jose Police Department shows the sexual assault suspect at Harker Middle School.



“We’re looking at every single angle,” Garcia said. “We know that he approached on foot and fled on foot, but we don’t know if he arrived or fled in a vehicle off camera.”

Garcia encouraged people to watch the footage carefully to see if they recognize not just the suspect’s face but his mannerisms, too.

“Look at his gait. He’s got a unique walk,” he said. “Look at his body. This guy will stand out in a crowd because of the way his legs look, the way his body looks, and the way he walks.”

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In the wake of the attack, San Jose police dispatched multiple school-liaison officers to the middle school Wednesday, and increased patrols around the school and in the surrounding neighborhood, Garcia said.

“We also have a large contingent of detectives assigned to this investigation,” he said. “We’re looking at various law-enforcement databases to see if there’s anybody else who matches that particular method and physical description. But we still need the community’s help.”

Dickinson said students are under adult supervision from the moment they step foot on campus. She added that the school will be beefing up security on and around the campus indefinitely as an added measure.

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“The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff have always been paramount, and we regularly review all protocols for any additional ways we can help keep our community safe,” the school said in its statement. “We are hopeful that the efforts of the police and the community will result in a swift arrest.”

Anyone with information about the case can call 911 or contact Detective Sgt. Samantha Huynh or Detective Jennifer Majors of the SJPD Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at 408-277-4102. Anonymous tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867) or svcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.

WATCH:

To view surveillance camera footage of the Harker Middle School sexual assault and robbery suspect, go online and visit bayareane.ws/harker-attack.