HOUSTON, Texas – At a press conference on Wednesday morning, officials with the HPD Victim’s Division shared new details in their investigation into the aggravated sexual assault of a young woman on Sunday, Dec. 29.
At around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted near Buffalo Speedway and South Main Street while she was walking home from a restaurant near Buffalo Speedway and the South Loop.
Prior to the assault, the woman had eaten dinner with her friends and cousins before embarking home. During the walk, she left the group to walk toward her mother’s house, officials said.
The victim told investigators she noticed a man walking behind her during her trek home. She said that at the time, the man seemed a safe distance away but he soon closed in on her.
Investigators said the man approached her from behind, strangled her and pulled her to the ground before kicking and punching her several times. The man continued to strangle the 19-year-old as he sexually assaulted her.
At one point during the assault, the victim briefly lost consciousness, according to investigators.
During the attack, a driver stopped to inquire if everything was alright before the man waved the driver on.
He told the driver “No, we’re friends. We’re good,” the suspect told investigators.
After sexually assaulting the woman, the man kicked her a couple more times before stealing her wallet and phone.
The suspect was last seen walking eastbound toward South Main Street.
The incident occurred in the dark, between two houses, in an area with several bushes.
Once the man walked away, the young woman ran across the street and sought help from someone living in the area.
“She’s very distraught,” HPD detective Reagan Daniel said.
Investigators are searching for the suspect. They released a composite sketch developed with information from the victim. The suspect is described as a 17 to 25-year-old black man with a small build. The man is around 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 140 to 150 pounds and has braided hair. The suspect wore a white shirt and white pants on the night of the assault.
Police urge anyone with information related to the case to contact the HPD Special Victims Unit at 713-308-1100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.