Authorities were searching for a man wanted for sexual battery after he allegedly assaulted a teenage girl walking home from school in Perris, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department stated Friday.
An alleged sexual battery near Evans Road and May Ranch Parkway (map) was reported to the Perris Police Department on Thursday, a sheriff’s department news release stated.
The female student was walking home from school around 3:20 p.m. when a man grabbed her from behind, held her and attempted to direct her toward nearby bushes, the release stated.
The girl resisted and broke free, but the man grabbed her while making “inappropriate comments,” the statement continued.
A female motorist then interrupted the assault, scarring away the man, who was last seen running westbound on May Ranch Parkway toward Evans Road.
He was described as a light-skinned Hispanic man, around 25 to 30 years old, weighing about 190 pounds and standing about 5 feet 5 inches high. He was wearing black jeans, black shoes, a white polo shirt and thick black-rimmed glasses, the news release stated.
Any witnesses or people contacted by door-to-door solicitors in the area around the time the alleged crime occurred were asked to contact investigator Salisbury with the Perris station at 951-210-1046.
Police were also looking for a woman driving a black vehicle who may have witnessed the incident.
Officials said police were working with the Perris Unified School District to “ensure the safety of all students and staff,” the news release stated.