Sexual assault suspect sought in Costa Mesa

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Police in Costa Mesa were looking Friday for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman at knifepoint.

The suspect -- described as between 5-feet-5 and 5-feet-10 with a thin build -- entered the woman’s apartment about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and sexually assaulted her in the bathroom, officials said.

The attacker left the 7-inch steak knife that he used to threaten the woman at the scene, police said Thursday. Police believe he may have gotten into the apartment through a window.

A man matching the attacker’s description was spotted Thursday by police but escaped.

It’s the second time a man has attacked a woman in Costa Mesa in three weeks, according to police.

In late January, a man matching the suspect’s description tried to sexually assault a woman in the middle of the night in her apartment that he entered through an unlocked glass door. The potential victim scared off the man in that incident, police said.

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-- Joseph Serna