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MORGAN HILL
A man who aggressively tried to subdue two women in Safeway grocery store parking lots in Morgan Hill last week attacked a third woman last night, police said.
The 18-year-old Gilroy resident was assaulted in her vehicle in the parking lot of Safeway Foods at 840 East Dunne Ave. last night, police said. The attack happened one week after the previous attacks near each Morgan Hill Safeway location.
Police believe the same man, who has not been caught, was involved in all three incidents.
The attack happened about 9 p.m. The woman, who was alone, parked her vehicle and before exiting she heard the rear driver’s-side door open and a man got into the back seat, according to Morgan Hill Police Cmdr. David Swing.
The woman reached for a pocket knife in the passenger’s glove compartment, and the attacker grabbed her hand and took the knife, which he held to her throat without saying anything, police said.
After the woman screamed several times, the attacker left the vehicle and ran away on foot, Swing said. He was seen running northbound through the store’s parking lot toward the Blockbuster video store.
Swing said the man matched the description of a man who attacked another woman in the same parking lot, and one in the Safeway lot at 235 Tennant Station Thursday, March 19: about 5-feet, 10-inches to 6-feet tall, weighing about 200 pounds, in his 20s, and of unknown race.
The victim received a minor cut, but refused medical treatment, Swing said.
He also noted the attack is similar to the previous ones, as the man seemed to wait for solo women to appear in the parking lot and approach them from behind. One difference in the most recent incident is the suspect attacked before the victim exited her vehicle, Swing said.
In the first attack March 19, which happened about 11 p.m., a woman noticed the man following her to her vehicle on foot, from the store’s entrance. She was able to get in the driver’s seat and lock the doors before he reached her, police said.
The second attack happened about 25 minutes later in the Safeway parking lot at Tennant Station, and the suspect entered the back seat after following a different woman to her vehicle. He punched her and shocked her with a stun gun several times before being frightened away by a passerby.
Swing urged women to avoid shopping alone at night until the attacker is caught, park their vehicles in well-lit areas close to the building, and keep their car doors locked.
“We want people to feel safe at night, and not feel like they can’t go shopping at night, but you should take extra precautions while we investigate this case,” Swing said.
Police have said this type of “violent, aggressive” attack on random women has never happened in Morgan Hill before.
Anyone with information about these attacks may call the MHPD at (408) 779-2101.
