Bloomington police warn of masked man entering homes, waking up women

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Four Bloomington women have awakened to masked men in their homes over the last few days, according to police.

The first encounter was reported on Monday at 5 a.m., according to police. A woman sleeping on the couch in her home in the 1600 block of South Henderson Street said she awoke to a masked man touching her leg. She pulled the mask from his face and he fled, taking the mask with him, according to police.

Three other women reported similar incidents Thursday. Police believe all four cases are connected.

A 20-year-old woman in the 500 block of East 2nd Street was asleep in her bed around 2:15 a.m. when she awoke to a man in a mask standing over her, police said. The man reportedly told her to remove her clothes or he would shoot her. When he tried to remove her clothes, she screamed and fought back, causing the man to flee, she told police.

Sam Moorin is an Indiana University student who lives on 2nd Street. He’s concerned about his female roommates.

“I actually messaged them whether or not there needs to be, like, something that needs to be addressed in a roommate sort-of group setting. Because this is obviously super concerning,” he said.

Police said a 33-year-old woman in the 1300 block of S. Washington Street awoke to her dog barking around 5 a.m. She found a masked man standing in the home outside her bedroom door, according to police. He ran out of the house.

The third incident Thursday happened around 6 a.m. in the 400 block of East Melrose Avenue. A 22-year-old woman reportedly woke up to find a masked man crouched next to her bed. She screamed and the man fled, police said.

“I just can’t imagine the sheer panic and horror of having some stranger in your home who means to do you harm,” said Moorin. “It’s kind of a terrifying notion that if we’re between class, there’s some dude out there that just wants to do these vile, repulsive things.”

All four women said the man had a thin build, was in his mid-to-late 20s and between 5’11” and 6’1″ tall, according to police.

Each of the women said their doors were unlocked. The Bloomington Police Department is reminding residents, especially those on the southeast side of the city, the lock their doors and windows and call 911 if they see anything suspicious.