Updates on the alleged sexual assault incident near Frederick Street in Santa Cruz
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Concern continuing to grow in Santa Cruz after an alleged sexual attack on August 8 between the hours of 1:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Some people in the area concerned with how much time went by before police notified the community about the incident and the suspect, who is still at-large.
"It took us a significant amount of time to work through all the details with the survivor," said Santa Cruz Chief of Police Bernie Escalante. "The survivor actually needed medical attention for the first few days."
Chief Escalante said that investigative work had to be done in order to solidify some details surrounding the incident.
Some people in the community also wondering if there's a possible link between this incident and other predatory actions that took place on the U.C. Santa Cruz campus a while back.
Both suspects in the sketches looking similar to one another.
The sketch on the right is of a suspect in a few "Peeping Tom" incidents, which police later confirmed was a former student named Tony Pau.
According to police, Pau was arrested in June and then let out on bail in July.
"We are aware of the fact that the sketch looks very similar to that individual involved in that incident," said Chief Escalante. "We haven't ruled that out. At this point, we're still going through all of the different tips and leads. And, so we will definitely look into that."
Chief Escalante saying that at the moment, there doesn't seem to be any risk to the public.
"We have picked up our enforcement and presence in the area, not only looking for additional evidence for this case, but to keep the rest of the community, especially in that particular neighborhood, safe," he said.
Authorities search for suspect in alleged sexual assault incident
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- An alleged sexual assault in a Santa Cruz neighborhood has left residents shaken and on high alert as police continue to search for a suspect. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of August 8 near the 400 block of Frederick Street, according to the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Authorities say the survivor was found disoriented by a passerby and had visible injuries. Officers responded quickly and began canvassing the area in search of clues.
"We're scouring the neighborhood for surveillance cameras and any other witnesses that hopefully can come forward," said Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante. "At this point, there aren’t any major updates, but we’ve increased patrol,” he adds. A sketch of the suspect has been released.
Residents in the neighborhood, typically described as calm and safe, say the incident has been a wake-up call.
“We're definitely concerned—especially for young kids,” said Tom Beggs, who lives nearby. “We’re going to be keeping an eye out.”
Other neighbors echoed the concern and expressed a renewed focus on safety and vigilance.
“I did hear from other women in the neighborhood,” said a local resident named Anne. “We all alert each other and feel a lot for the person who was assaulted. We just want to watch out for each other and make sure we're practicing safe behaviors—not forgetting our vulnerability.”
Sue DeCarlis, another neighbor, shared that she now carries pepper spray while walking her dog late at night.
“I’ve always trusted the neighborhood,” she said. “But I do feel these parks should be patrolled by police a little more often.”
Police are actively working with the survivor to gather more details and encourage anyone with information to come forward. The investigation remains ongoing.
