A suspect is in custody Wednesday after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man wielding scissors in the restroom of a Petco in Bell Gardens earlier this week, officials said.
The attack occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Monday at the pet store chain’s location in the Los Jardines Shopping Center on Eastern Avenue, according to investigators.
On Tuesday, Bell Gardens police released information and surveillance images in the hopes of tracking down the perpetrator.
Investigators say the public provided numerous leads that led them to identify 24-year-old Jaquice Blackman as the suspect.
Police detectives say they were assisted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in tracking Blackman, who was taken into custody without incident in L.A. around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Detectives previously said the victim, a Petco worker, had gone to the employee restroom on her break when a man armed with scissors forced his way in.
The man then sexually assaulted her. She was eventually able to fight off the attack, officials said.
The man then ran from the store.
Detective Sgt. Angelo Sinisi called the attack “bold” and “brazen,” and credited the victim for fighting the assailant off.