Two women – one 18 years old and one elderly – were sexually assaulted within 10 days of each other, and Aurora police said they believe the incidents might be connected.
Both women describe being taken to an ATM and then being sexually assaulted, police said. The suspect’s description is similar in both cases.
The first incident happened Oct. 2 when a man with a handgun forced an 18-year-old woman, who had just parked her car, back into her car between 11:15 and 11:50 p.m. The parking lot where the woman was assaulted is near South Havana Street and East Mississippi Avenue in Aurora.
Police say the suspect drove the woman to a nearby bank’s ATM, where he forced her to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money.
He then drove to a parking lot and sexually assaulted her. After the sexual assault, the suspect took the woman back to the ATM, where he again made her withdraw money.
The suspect threatened the woman before leaving her in her car and getting into the passenger side of a white or silver sport utility vehicle, which fled the area.
The second incident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday when a man forced a 75-year-old woman into her house in the 2500 block of South Worchester Court in Aurora at knifepoint, police said.
The suspect ransacked the woman’s house for valuables before forcing her into her car. He drove her to a nearby bank, where he attempted to withdraw money from her bank account. It is unclear why he did not get money.
He drove back to the elderly victim’s house, sexually assaulted her, stole her personal belongings and left.
Aurora police are working on obtaining the ATM’s surveillance video, Aurora police officer and spokesman Marcus Dudley said.
Both victims described the suspect as black, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds with a medium build. The first victim said he was wearing a black baseball cap, a black shirt with thin white stripes, and baggy jeans with either red shorts or underwear showing.The elderly victim said the suspect was wearing a white sweat shirt with bluejeans.
Police are analyzing forensic evidence to find out if the same suspect was involved in the assaults.
Area residents said they were stunned by the sexual assaults and locked their doors in fear.
Ken Brown, an Army sergeant who lives in a townhome across from the elderly woman, said he was “floored” by the incident and stayed home from work Thursday, fearing for the safety of his wife and two young boys.
Staff writer Karissa Marcum can be reached at 303-954-1858 or kmarcum@denverpost.com.
