A woman was thrown to the ground by a man and sexually assaulted in Collegetown on Sunday night before fighting off her attacker and escaping, police said.
The victim had locked herself out of her house and was trying to get in through a ground floor window when the assault occurred on Linden Avenue at about 10:15 p.m., the Cornell Police Department said in a crime alert to the Cornell community.
The man grabbed her from behind and “forcefully put his hands under her clothing and groped her private areas,” the Cornell Police Department said. Ithaca Police Sgt. David Amaro said in a media release that the suspect forcibly threw the woman to the ground.
The unidentified woman fought off her attacker, fled the scene and called for help, Amaro said. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.
Cornell Police said the victim described the suspect as a white man with an average build and short, light brown hair. Cornell Police said the suspect was college-aged and Ithaca Police said he was between 20 and 30.
The suspect is approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall and was wearing jeans with a belt and a black heavy jacket, the victim reported.
The Ithaca Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation and urged anyone with information to contact the department by calling 607-272-3245 for police dispatch, 607-272-9973 for police administration or by using the online tip form, through which tips may be submitted anonymously.