Sketch of suspect in Beacon Street assault released

On Monday,

April 21, 2014, during the early morning hours, a woman reported to the

Somerville Police that she was the victim of an assault near the 300 block of

Beacon Street.  She had departed the

Porter Square MBTA Station and was walking alone on Beacon Street when her

attacker grabbed her from behind and made an attempt to force her into a nearby

alley.  The victim was able to scream and

fend off her attacker.  The victim

described her attacker as a thin black male, in his 30’s, 6-00, clean shaven,

and wearing dark clothing. 

This incident is

similar to an assault that was reported in Cambridge last week. On Wednesday, April

16, 2014, a woman reported to Cambridge Police that a man assaulted her after she

too departed from the Porter Square MBTA Station and was walking home in

Cambridge on Richdale Ave. Whether or not one suspect may be responsible for

both incidents remains under investigation.

“Police will

be diligent in their investigative efforts to identify, apprehend, and

prosecute the individual who is responsible for this incident,” said Somerville

Police Chief Charles Femino. “If anyone has any information or sees anything

suspicious, we encourage you to report it immediately to Somerville Police.”

The

Somerville Police would like to remind pedestrians of the following safety

precautions, while reaffirming that no victim is ever to blame for the actions

of an attacker. These measures promoted widely by crime prevention experts may

simply help you reduce your risk of any type of crime from robbery to assault:

·        

Be

aware of your surroundings

·        

Avoid

wearing ear buds or headphones in both ears, especially while walking alone

·        

If

possible, avoid poorly lit or isolated areas

·        

If

you feel you are being followed, show you are suspicious by turning and looking

directly at the person

·        

If

someone is following you, change your direction or cross the street and call

911 immediately

·        

Try

to remember descriptive information about the person you believe is following

you to report to the police

Somerville Police

detectives are actively

investigating this incident. If anyone has any information regarding this

incident, please contact the Somerville Police Criminal Investigation Division at

617-625-1600, extension 7237. 

If you are a victim

of a past sexual assault that has or has not been reported to the police for

any reason, the Somerville Police Department strongly encourages contacting the

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) at the Cambridge office at 617.492.8306,

at the 24-hour hotline 800.841.8371, by (TTY) 617.492.6434.  Si usted habla español, porfavor llamenos al

800.223.5001 ó TTY 888.887.7130.  If you

want to learn more about the services BARCC has to offer victims of sexual

violence you can visit their website at www.barcc.org.     

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