Finding Suspect In Attempted Rape A Top Priority For Denver Police

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver police need help tracking down an attempted rapist after an incident near a popular park.

Police say a woman was attacked early Sunday morning near Vine Street and 14th Avenue near Cheesman Park. Police say the victim was walking at approximately 4 a.m. when she was attacked. She was able to get away and now police need help to identify the man.

"There are a lot of families in this neighborhood, the school is right there," neighborhood resident Ally Vaughan said.

"Apprehending and identifying this individual is a top priority for us," Sgt. Stephen Warneke with Denver police said.

Police released a sketch of the suspect. They say the victim didn't know him as he approached her making inappropriate comments before knocking her to the ground.

"There was a physical assault, the male assaulted the female and attempted to remove her clothing," Warneke said.

The victim was able to get away and the suspect fled on foot. He's described as a 30- to 40-year-old black male, approximately 5-foot-10, 180 pounds with a goatee and shaved head.

"If anybody lives in this area and they see suspicious behavior, please give us a call," Warneke said.

Neighborhood residents say they'll rest easier once the suspect is locked up.

Additional Resources

The Denver Police Department released the following information about the case:

Anyone with information is asked to call Denver police at (720) 913-2000. Remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867). Text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter the message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com.