News Nearby: Sexual Attacks in Ross Appear to be Random, Police Say

The two Ross Township women sexually assaulted in their apartments in the early morning hours after returning from walking their dogs apparently do not have any connection to their attacker, according to police. 

"These appear to be random," said Ross Police spokesman Sgt. Benjamin Dripps. 

As of noon, police were still on the scene at the  at 100 East West Drive, where the second assault took place Monday morning. 

A neighbor who gave his name only as John P. said he was feeling physically sick over the news. 

"I've lived here a long time. This isn't the Cascades. This is a friendly community," he said. "I hope they catch the (expletive)." 

The woman, who is in her mid-20s, left her apartment to walk her dog at about 6 a.m. Monday, police said. When she returned she found an unknown man with a black handgun in her apartment, and she was assaulted inside the apartment, Dripps said. 

The man demanded money before the assault, according to police. 

Dripps declined to comment about whether anyone else was inside the apartment at the time. No other injuries were reported, he said. 

The woman told police she saw the man outside the apartment complex at the start of her walk. He did not confront her then. 

The woman's identity is not being released because of the nature of the crime. She was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, Dripps said. 

Police are searching for a suspect described as a black man in his mid-40s wearing dark jeans; a dark, Nike hooded and zippered sweatshirt — with red Michael Jordan logo; and a dark knit cap or mask rolled up on his head. 

The description of the suspect matches that of the man who attacked another woman on Saturday in an apartment at the Woodhawk Club Apartment complex on Johanna Drive. 

That woman is also in her mid-20s and was attacked after returning from walking her dog, at about 9:30 a.m. In that incident, however, she was confronted outside. The man showed a handgun and forced her to return to her apartment with him where he assaulted her, police said. 

That woman's identity also is not being released because of the nature of the crime. She was transported to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. 

The man did not use a ruse to get close to either woman, Dripps said.

Police are searching for a dark blue Ford Expedition XLT that a witness saw leave the Woodhawk Club Apartment complex Saturday driven by a man matching the description of the suspect. Cameras on McKnight Road captured images of the vehicle minutes after the suspect was believed to have left the scene, Dripps said. 

The Expedition is believed to be a newer model, possibly 2009, and might have damage to the driver's side door. It is a regular length SUV, Dripps said. 

Police said they received many tips Monday. 

One man who lives in the Cascade Apartment complex said he thinks he saw a man matching the police description in the area on Thursday. 

"He looked like he was casing the area out," said Dennis Calhoun, who lives on North South Drive. 

Calhoun said he didn't think much about it at the time, but after the news this morning decided to report what he saw. 

He said he and his neighbors are feeling hypervigilant tonight. 

"Everybody is a little bit jumpy," he said. 

A flyer alerting neighbors to the danger has been sent. Neighbors are being asked to keep their porch lights on at night. 

Brandy Carothers, the property manager of the Cascades Townhomes and Apartments, declined to be interviewed. 

The apartment complex is tucked off of Cemetery Lane in Ross Township, within a 100-acre wooded setting. 

An unrelated arrest was made Monday at the apartment complex on an outstanding warrant, police said. 

A 15-minute North Hills School District lockdown Monday also was unrelated to the search for the man involved in the attacks on the two women. 

A young boy home alone in a nearby house on Rochester Road reported at about 11:30 a.m. that someone was breaking into the house. Police searched the home and surrounding area. No evidence of a break-in was found, and no arrests were made, according to the police. 

A home invasion in the Franklin Park area Monday also is not believed to be connected to the attacks in Ross, police said.