Police in Evanston, Illinois, are investigating two reported sex offences in South Evanston after women described encounters with men wearing black ski masks on Monday, October 5.
Officers were first called shortly after midnight to the area of Custer Avenue and Brummel Street, where a woman said a man riding a black mountain bike approached her as she walked north and grabbed her buttocks before riding away.
Police described the suspect as a Black man about 5ft 5in tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and a black ski mask.
A second incident was reported at about 9.10pm near Sherman Avenue and South Boulevard. A woman told officers that a man with his trousers down walked towards her and exposed himself.
She ran to her flat and called 911. Police said she was not touched or injured.
The second suspect was described as a Black man around 6ft tall with a thin build. He was said to be wearing all-black clothing and a black ski mask.
The two locations are about half a mile apart, but Evanston police have not established whether the incidents are connected.
While officers were investigating the second report, the woman involved in the first incident told them she believed she had seen her attacker near Custer Street and Howard Street. Officers searched the area but did not find him.
Police increase patrols in South Evanston
Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, seeking additional video and following other leads. Extra officers are also being deployed to patrol South Evanston.
Residents have been advised to remain alert and move towards populated or well-lit areas if they feel unsafe. Anyone with information is asked to contact Evanston police on 847-866-5000 or send a text beginning with “EPDTIP” to 275637.
