Berkeley Nightmare: Women Sexually Assaulted in Bed

Police are investigating to see if the incidents are related

Updated 9:00 AM PST, Fri, Jul 17, 2009

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Detectives in Berkeley are searching for two men they believe broke into two separate homes Thursday morning and sexually assaulted a girl and a woman asleep in their own beds, according to police

Patrol officers responded to a reported sexual assault at a home in the 2100 block of Cedar Street at around 2:30 a.m., according to the Berkeley Police Department.

A teenage girl told police she woke up with a man straddling her and lifting her shirt. According to police, the victim's mother was asleep in the same bed, and she reported waking up and fighting the suspect until he fled.

The attacker was described as a male, 16 to 20 years old, between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall, and was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Officers responded to a second sexual assault reported at 7:24 a.m. in the 2600 block of Hillegas Avenue, police reported. A college-aged woman told police she woke up with a man on top of her. She fought off the attacker and until he fled, according to police.

The man in the later assault was described as black around 19 to 22 years old, around 5 feet 6 inches tall, and was wearing a gray sweatshirt with no hood and blue jeans.

Police reported that in each case the men had entered the homes through doors or windows that were unlocked and reminded residents to always keep homes securely closed.