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Update: Long Beach Woman Wakes to Man in Her Room

She finds the man standing over her, he hurled lewd remarks then fled. Sex crimes detectives are investigating. Police don't see a link to sexual assailant they've hunted since late 2010.

A Long Beach woman woke up to a burglar in her bedroom who made lewd remarks and bolted, and police are seeking public help in identifying him.

UPDATED AT 4:20 P.M.: While police have not ruled out a connection between this man and a series of unsolved sexual assaults in Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights, they do not think there is a link because of the different ways in which the crimes were committed, said Lisa Massacani of Long Beach Police Department. (See the accompanying composite sketches of the suspect in Friday's incident and the suspect in the sexual assaults.) 

In the latest, the woman was sleeping in her home near Seventh Street and Temple Avenue about 10:30 p.m. Friday (July 20, 2012) when she awoke to an intruder standing over her, said Lisa Massacani, spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department.

 The man made lewd comments to the victim, then fled. He was described by the victim as Hispanic, in his 40s, 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-6 and 160 to 170 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a mustache.

In the 2010 investigation, which included 2009 cases, the suspect was described in our Patch story of Dec. 2010:

In each case, the suspect entered an open window. He confronted the women while they were showering, and assaulted them in another room. Police are still investigating a link between those attacks and one at about 2 a.m. on Nov. 8, near Ximeno and Fourth Street.

Climbing in through an unlocked window, a man tried to assault a woman in her home, but she fought back and he fled. The main description of the man was that he had a slight to medium build and wore dark clothes.

The suspect in the prior attacks (composite) is described as male and Latino, of average build with short black hair, green/hazel eyes, long lashes and a small, pockmark-type scar above his right eye. He may have changed his hair or shaved his heavy beard and moustache, the flier notes. (See accompanying drawing.)

Friday, authorities urged anyone with information about his identity or whereabouts to contact Long Beach Police Sex Crimes Detective Louie Galvan at (562) 570-7368.

"The Long Beach Police Department would like to encourage residents to practice the following safety tips:

- Keep your doors and windows secured at all times.

- Purchase devices for your windows that will allow adequate ventilation without jeopardizing your safety.

- Install security lights with motion sensors outside your home.

- Prevent hiding locations by keeping bushes and shrubbery trimmed. 

- Know your escape routes.

- Immediately report any suspicious activity or persons by calling 9-1-1 regardless of how insignificant you may feel it is and let police determine its importance.

Again, authorities urge anyone with information about the suspect or suspicious behavior in that area last Friday night to contact police.

Watts July 27, 2012 at 04:21 pm
Especially creepy to read this story after having just watched the movie Officer and a Murderer on Lifetime:
http://www.mylifetime.com/movies/an-officer-and-a-murderer/ And if Bo Bo stumbles across this post, yes I am secure enough in my sexuality to admit watching a Lifetime channel movie ;-)
Nancy Wride (Editor) July 27, 2012 at 05:23 pm
I didn't doubt it for a moment, Watts.
John B. Greet July 27, 2012 at 05:44 pm
What a pity the victim wasn't a well-trained legal firearm owner with a handgun readily available...
Nancy Wride (Editor) July 27, 2012 at 05:56 pm
Hey John check out the composite I added from the 2009 and 2010 cases. Look at the hairlines.
John B. Greet July 27, 2012 at 06:08 pm
Allowing for differences in witness perception, I think there may well be a connection. The safety tips LBPD offered are good ones. They offer still more here:
http://www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=31496
Natasha July 27, 2012 at 06:11 pm
10:30pm on Friday? Did this happen last week or last night (Thursday)? Creepy considering I live in that general area. Although, my windows & doors are always locked. Plus I have the best alarm system you can have....a bratty, loud dog that goes ballistic if anyone even walks by my apartment. Lol
Nancy Wride (Editor) July 27, 2012 at 06:32 pm
We only learned of it late yesterday, probably when the composite could be done and the whole weekend of shootings and explosives scare, the media folks and detectives were probably swamped. But I thought about it last night and remembered how the night of Doug Zerby's shooting, I assumed the choppers were for the sexual cat burglar. I could not find my original story because I was reporting news on Facebook before BSN Patch launched 12/13/10. But police last night had said it was undetermined about a connection but anything was possible. I looked at the composites and the M.O. Did you look at the earlier story Natasha?
Natasha July 27, 2012 at 11:56 pm
I couldn't find the earlier story. Can you post a link to it?
Natasha July 28, 2012 at 12:02 am
Oh...yeah there were a bunch of ghetto birds flying around last Friday night. I remember because I had to work the next morning and it kept me up.
Watts July 28, 2012 at 06:09 am
Please John, don't leave us hanging with just a dot dot dot. Tell us exactly what you think should have happened if she was (and so far, I don't see anything in this story that says that she wasn't) a "a well-trained legal firearm owner with a handgun readily available." I would just like to know what those "..." are indicating in your mind. Given that the police do not believe that there is reason to think that he is connected to this previous crime, do you think that she should have blown his head off? Should she have shot him through the heart? The genitals? And not knowing if the intruder had a gun or not (God only knows how many freaks have guns under the current lack of significant regulations), would it end with a face off where you presume the average person to always be the victor over the psychopath, just because they had training shooting paper targets?
John B. Greet July 28, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Watts: You have quite a talent for sarcasm and loaded questioning. When you approach people in that way, you evidence a certain lack of mutual respect which, I believe , all well-intended folks should demonstrate for one another.
Watts July 28, 2012 at 01:41 pm
Your opinion has been duly noted. Now can you answer my question? As an ex-Long Beach police officer, I think that it only fair that you complete that thought so that we know exactly what the recommendation of a police officer might be in such a situation.
John B. Greet July 28, 2012 at 01:50 pm
Watts: I think it's great that you're taking notes. What you may or may not believe to be fair does not concern me. I am not interested in rewarding your sarcasm and lack of mutual respect with a sincere response.
Nancy Wride (Editor) July 28, 2012 at 04:01 pm
Natasha, I apologize, I thought this link to the earlier story was in this article. Here is the earlier predator case. http://patch.com/A-c5YD
Watts July 28, 2012 at 06:08 pm
I feel that your statement and it's implications were irresponsible and I believe that is why you will give any reason not to answer. If you completed that thought, that would mean that you as an Ex Long Beach police officer (as you have frequently made readers aware), would be making a statement that that would be read as the recommendation for a course of action under such circumstances from an (ex) police officer.
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but the fact that you seem to think that it was a pity that this person wasn't a well trained firearm owner, would seem to imply that you might feel that if she was, that a proper course of action may have been to try to turn the tables with an armed offensive action against the person who was standing there talking dirty. So given all of your years experience, if a well trained, armed women was to awake to a stranger talking dirty to her (admittedly, an intensely creepy scenario), what would your profession recommendation be for that woman to do? You should run through the recommendation based on three scenarios; 1) the scenario that you commented about, where the intruder shows no weapons and his actions do not exceed the dirty talking or 2) there is a visible firearm, yet he does not escalate beyond dirty talking 3) the intruder has a visible gun and it becomes obvious that his intentions are escalating to assault. It would be an incredible contribution to the community to hear your professional opinion.
John B. Greet July 28, 2012 at 06:15 pm
Watts: I am not responsible for whatever you may be feeling or for whatever you believe my comments might imply. I had hoped that I had made it quite clear that I am not interested in rewarding your sarcasm and lack of mutual respect with a sincere response.
Watts July 28, 2012 at 06:34 pm
Were you this good at dodge ball as a kid?
John B. Greet July 28, 2012 at 06:41 pm
Were you this obtuse when you were younger?

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Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 01:40 pm
Hi Mark. I'll see if I can find out. Roughly what time and nearest landmark if any?
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Love it! Thanks to our new bloggers. :D
Should he be teaching your children?
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 01:36 pm
Prior to his election as a write-in candidate, Councilman Patrick O'Donnell told the Long BeachRead More Business Journal on February 28, 2012 the following:***** LBBJ: If you win the reelection, will you commit to a full four-year term?***** Councilman O'Donnell: If you run for four, you serve four. ***** LBBJ: So, you're not going to run for Assembly in two years? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. ***** LBBJ: No matter what? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. If you run for four, you serve four. ***** If you can't trust O'Donnell's word, why would anyone vote for him to be their representative for political office? ***** http://www.lbreport.com/news/jan13/odonlbbj.htm
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 02:22 pm
And do his supporters care about this, do you think? No doubt others will.
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Regarding, "do O'Donnell's supporters care?", many of O'Donnell's supporters are inRead More elected and appointed public positions, and their support of O'Donnell includes placing the financial burden of a $150,000 special election on the taxpayers. I would think that a responsible journalist would ask each of them about that issue.
This is what the new path will look like.
Richard May 31, 2013 at 10:54 am
This opinion piece is so full of self-serving hot air it could float. Two paths will make the beachRead More look like a freeway? The author clearly hasn't seen too many freeways lately. Speaking of seeing, if the author would care to spend a little time looking at the beach (which I do on a daily basis, as I live overlooking the Bluff) they would realize that the current bike/pedestrian path is the most heavily used and enjoyed segment of the beach from the Belmont Pier to Shoreline Village. On any given day, there will be hundreds of people on the paths, compared with a handful on the sand itself. The author inadvertently makes that point when he or she writes that the beach "...should be valued for its own recreational value." Clearly, many more people enjoy walking, running or bicycling on the path than on the beach itself. Give the people what they want, and not what a mysterious, nameless, faceless group is trying to block.
Shore Resident June 3, 2013 at 08:37 am
Uh, Richard? Opinion pieces are by nature self-serving and one sided. I'm not saying that is agreeRead More with the opinion, just saying that gordana can have her say.