Sketch of suspect released after woman raped in Auburn neighborhood

Investigators are hoping a sketch will help identify a man suspected of raping a woman at an Auburn apartment complex last week.

On Monday, Jun. 1 at around 1 p.m., the woman was alone inside an apartment in the Lea Hill neighborhood when a man walked in, held a knife to her throat, dragged her to the floor, and sexually assaulted her.

KIRO 7 talked with someone who lives in the complex. She didn’t want to share her name, because the alleged attacker is still on the run. She said she came home right around that time to see police swarm the parking lot, but police didn’t tell her why.

“They asked me if a seen a man in a dirty sweatshirt run past,” she said.

The woman added, “It had to have been something more serious than just an assault considering they had the helicopter circling over for two hours and at least ten different police cars.”

After the attack, he ran into the wooded area behind the complex. Police K-9′s tracked his trail.

“They went straight up to the forest in the back to the woods and then the dog caught a scent and ran down the street,” the woman said.

She added,  “It’s just crazy that somebody could do such horrible things to someone else.”

Police said the man’s appearance led the victim to believe he was homeless.

The suspect is described as white, in his 20s or 30s, about 5 feet, 10 inches, tall, with a medium build, dark brown scraggly hair, and acne on his face. He was wearing a dirty white gaiter mask, a dirty black hoodie with holes in the sleeves, and dirty jeans.

Anyone with information about the case or the identity of the suspect is asked to call 911 or the Auburn Police Department tip line at 253-288-7403.