SAN ANTONIO – A group of teenage girls is convinced they had a close encounter with a man who has been attacking and raping women in the Medical Center.
San Antonio police said they responded to an apartment in the 8000 block of Oakdell Way about 4 a.m. Friday. They said several people inside the home gave officers details about the incident.
Later, those three teens and a 19-year-old relative, who were too afraid to reveal their identities, told their story to KSAT 12 News. They detailed their encounter with the man who they said barged into their second floor apartment after one of them answered a knock on the door.
“(The door) just flung open and he pushed her,” one of the teens said. "He had this long hunting knife and he said something, but we don't really know what."
The three teens said they had been sitting outside at a picnic table eating snacks they bought after a night out celebrating someone’s birthday earlier.
“All of a sudden, we felt someone throw a rock at us,” one girl said.
The trio, who are all related, became afraid and decided to go inside the home. Moments later, they heard the knock on the door.
They said, in hindsight, it appears the man had been watching them all along.
"I guess, when he saw them go upstairs, he saw that as his chance to go in and try to follow them,” the 19-year-old woman said.
The man, who was holding a knife and had his face covered with a bandana, quickly ran out of the apartment when he realized other adults were in the home.
Officers set up a quadrant and searched the area, but did not find anyone.
Investigators feel it is too soon to tell if the man involved in this encounter might be the same man who has been attacking women in that area, Officer Douglas Greene with the San Antonio Police Department said.
Earlier this year, police released a sketch of the suspect involved in those other attacks. Later, they also obtained surveillance video from one of the apartment complexes where a sexual assault took place.
"We have not made any arrests in that case,” Greene said. “We're still reaching out to the public."
While investigators continue looking for the suspect, one of victims of Friday morning’s incident said she is no longer taking any chances.
"I think everybody needs to be safe, and in the morning, I'm going to get a gun,” she said.
Police ask anyone who may have information on the most recent incident or any of the other cases to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.
--------------------------------------------------------
Don't miss a thing. Get email alerts from KSAT 12 today.
Get alerted to news events as they happen or sign up for a scheduled news headline email that is delivered right to your inbox. Breaking news, severe weather, daily forecasts, entertainment news, all of the day’s important events to keep you up to date wherever you are.
Sign up today. It's Free.