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Woman Groped By Stranger While Sleeping At Home

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - A Boulder woman woke up to find a stranger touching her in her home, and it's not the first time this has happened in the past several weeks.

The question remains whether this incident is connected to other events, but police do say that at least the last two cases have similarities.

BOULDER SEXUAL CONTACT MAP
(credit: CBS)

A 21-year-old student was assaulted inside her home on Sunday morning. Police say around 4:50 a.m. the woman had been sleeping on her couch with the door unlocked when something startled her.

"When she woke up there was a stranger groping her, and she screamed. And she startled the stranger, he ran off," said Kim Kobel, of the Boulder Police Department.

Logan Snyder is still stunned after the assault of his female roommate in their home.

"It's a pretty rattling experience," he said.

boulder groper victim's roommate
Logan Snyder (credit: CBS)

The assault took place a day after another woman had been attacked on a bike path near the Boulder Turnpike. She also screamed and the man ran away.

"Boulder I've known is such a safe place ... but I guess not anymore," said one resident.

Kobel says it's too early to determine if the cases are related, but there are similarities.

"Certainly they both involve strangers attacking strangers, and that concerns us," she said.

In the past few weeks, several other disturbing cases have been reported in Boulder. An incident on 14th Street involved a woman who woke up in her bedroom to a stranger pulling the covers off her feet.

In another case, a woman found a man hiding behind her bedroom door. No arrests were made in either case.

"It's really close to home, obviously, which is a scary thought," said another resident.

As the search for clues continues, Snyder said he's sending thoughts and prayers to his roommate.

"I think she's alright now, as long as she gets time to get over it she'll be alright," he said.

There are different suspect descriptions for the different cases. In this case, the man is described as a 20 to 30-year-old Indian male with dark skin, wearing an orange polo shirt with white stripes and khaki pants.

Additional Information From The Boulder Police Department

Anyone with information about these crimes or the suspects is asked to contact the Boulder Police Department at (303) 441-3333.  Those with information regarding the identity of a suspect and who wish to remain anonymous should contact Boulder County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or (800) 444-3776.  Tips can also be submitted via the Crime Stoppers Web site athttp://www.crimeshurt.com.  Those submitting tips that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Boulder County Crime Stoppers.

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