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WEST VALLEY CITY — Police are investigating a third incident that appears to be related to an attempted assault at an elderly woman's home and a window peeking at another home on Tuesday.
The third incident occurred about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in a home near 6200 West and 3500 South. A woman screamed after discovering an unidentified man inside her home, and the man ran out of the house.
Police say the man may have entered the home through an unlocked door.
The description of the intruder is similar to what was provided by the victims of Tuesday's incidents, according to police.
"Based on geographic proximity of these two cases, as well as consistencies in suspect description, we believe that these two cases could be related, and we're looking for some information to try to track down who this person might be," West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku previously said.
A man in dark clothing and a knit hat walked into the woman's unlocked home near 6200 West and 3500 South just before 5 a.m. Tuesday and encountered her sitting at her kitchen table, Vainuku said.
We can't emphasize enough the importance of keeping those doors locked even when you're home.
–Roxeanne Vainuku
When the man attempted to assault her, the woman began screaming for help and the man fled.
The incident lasted about two minutes, and the woman was not hurt.
About 40 minutes later and two blocks away, a woman noticed a man watching her through the sliding glass door that leads to her backyard.
The man fled when the woman grabbed a phone and shouted that she was calling police, Vainuku said.
Police described the man as white; in his 20s or early 30s; 5 feet, 6 or 7 inches tall; with an average build. Victims described him as wearing a knit or beanie- style hat.
"It's very concerning anytime you have a case like this," Vainuku said, emphasizing the need for extra precautions in the area.
"In one of these cases, he actually got into the house through an unlocked door, so we can't emphasize enough the importance of keeping those doors locked even when you're home," she said.
Investigators have been interviewing residents, checking in with registered sex offenders in the area and adding extra patrols to the neighborhoods, Vainuku said.
