BPD Community Alert: BPD Seeks Public’s Help in Effort to Identify Suspect Wanted in Connection to Sexual Assault in Jamaica Plain: At about 1:41am, on Thursday, September 29, 2016, officers from District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) responded to a call for a report of a sexual assault in the area of Gay Head and Minden Streets. On arrival, officers spoke to the victim who stated that while she was on Gay Head Street, the suspect approached her, displayed a firearm, demanded her cell phone and then instructed the victim to walk with him into a backyard in the area of 24 Gay Head Street where the victim says the suspect sexually assaulted her. The victim describes the suspect as either a light-skinned black or Hispanic male with light-colored eyes, with a mask pulled up over his nose, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with a white logo on the front and black jeans. According to the victim, the suspect was last seen running down Arklow Street towards Walden Street.

The Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with any information is asked to call detectives directly at (617) 343-4400. Community members wanting to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800)494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation anonymously.

If you’re a victim of a sexual assault that has or has not been reported to police and would feel more comfortable seeking confidential advice from a non-law enforcement agency or representative, the Boston Police Department encourages you to call the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) at 1 (800) 841-8371. BARCC provides free and confidential counseling, case management, legal and medical advocacy services to survivors in the greater Boston area. To learn more about BARCC, please click on the enclosed link: www.barcc.org.

TIPS FOR ENSURING YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY: The BPD encourages individuals to review the following safety tips with the understanding that, while these tips are designed to decrease and diminish the likelihood of an attack, no victim is ever to blame for the actions of an attacker.