Police officials are asking for the public’s help in locating a man who reportedly attacked a woman in west-central Loveland early Thursday morning.

Officers first responded to a report of a suspicious man in the 300 block of North Cleveland Avenue at 12:34 a.m., according to a Loveland Police Department news release. A woman told police the man followed her on foot and then in a dark-colored, midsize SUV.

She was able to escape while on the phone with 911 dispatchers.

Shortly after, at 2:47 a.m., police officers responded to a report of a sexual assault at North Shore Health & Rehab Facility, North Taft Avenue and West 29th Street.

A woman reported she was behind the building when she was physically and sexually assaulted by one man. She said she fought back and eventually, the man ran to a SUV that matched the description in the earlier incident and drove off.

The man in the second incident is described as 6 feet tall, white and in his late 20s with a thick build and short, light-brown hair.

“We think that there’s a possibility that these incidents could be linked and we are treating it as such,” Loveland Police Department Sgt. Mike Halloran said.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call Detective Denise Dean at 962-2258.

Dana Rieck: 970-635-3630, rieckd@reporter-herald.com or twitter.com/DanaRieckRH