Bloomington Police are looking for masked man who attempted to sexually assault at least four women in the last four days.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WTHR) - Bloomington police have assigned extra patrols after four cases of the same man sneaking into women's homes, trying to sexually assault them.

Investigators are looking for home security cameras that may have captured images of the suspect.

"Well, it really shocked me when I woke up this morning and I came out of the door and said why is an undercover cop here," one neighborhood resident said. She saw police collecting possible evidence from the neighbors porch.

"I didn't see any screaming or yelling, I just woke up," said Grace Nolden. "Might have been due to the police lights."

At about 2 a.m. Thursday, a masked man got into a house and threatened to kill a woman, 20, in her bed. He tried to remove her clothing. She screamed and fought back. He ran.

That same scenario was repeated twice more before sunrise on Bloomington's near-south side on Thursday.

Police say the fourth attack actually came a few days ago, on Monday morning. The woman woke up when the masked man touched her leg. She pulled off his mask and he fled.

Bloomington resident Jonny Gooder read to us an emailed alert from the apartment manager: "Some of you know there's been an increase in criminal activity around our area in the last week."

"Yeah that's frightening," he said. "I think that breaks the Lord's heart."

Two women who live too close to one of the Thursday morning attacks say they're locking their doors. "I have two knives, just keep one under the pillow case. Pepper spray. Mace. We've got guns in the house."

Gooder reads the key line in today's warning email: "Please keep your doors and windows locked." In all four cases, police say that's how the suspect got in... through unlocked doors.

"Locking your door? Yes," said Rose Guinrich. "Are there a number of people who leave them open? Yes, definitely. Just sort of feel it's a secure place. Plus we have roommates going in and out, so typically if someone's there, you don't lock it."

But now they do at Guinrich's.

"I feel safer living with three boys, but it's really scary," said Nolden, who lives near one of the crime scenes.

Bloomington police say the white male suspect is in his mid to late 20s, thin build and about 5 feet 11 to 6'1" tall.

Earlier story

Bloomington Police are looking for masked man who attempted to sexually assault at least four women in the last four days.

It all started September 5th. Three more incidents occurred early Thursday morning.

Bloomington Police are combing the neighborhood where these attacks took place over the last few nights. There is an increased police presence in Bloomington just south of the IU campus.





"We don't like to walk in fear," one woman who was taking her afternoon walk shared with Eyewitness News.

Residents here are not accustomed to walking in fear, but after four attempted sexual assaults in four days, they are - and police are concerned the predator is getting more brazen.

"That is our fear. We are doing everything in our power to step up and doing everything in our power to investigate this and keep the community safe," Captain Steve Kellams, Bloomington Police Department.

It has not been easy. Very early on Thursday morning, a 20-year-old woman on East Second street awoke to a masked man at her bed. Three hours later at 5:00 am, another woman in the 1300 block of South Washington Street awoke to a masked man at her bed and 6:00 am in the 400 block of east Melrose Avenue it happened again.





"They woke up screamed, fought back and he fled the area," Captain Kellams said.

All are believed to be connected to a similar incident on the 1600 block of South Henderson earlier in the week.

"I'm just glad to be aware of it and make sure we are safe here," one college student who lives in the area said.

It is prompting conversations about precautions.

"Actually, yesterday we went around and made sure all the windows were locked, which they weren't and they hadn't been since we moved in three weeks ago," another college student admitted.

In each of these cases, there is one other thing in common besides a man wearing a mask. In each case a door was unlocked. That is something Bloomington police want to make sure doesn't happen again tonight.

The description of the suspect is consistent and he is described as a white man in his mid to late 20s, approximately 5'11" to 6'1'' tall, with a thin build.