Police search for man who groped women near Cal State Northridge

Police at Cal State Northridge on Thursday were searching for a suspect who has been groping women near the campus.

Five assaults were reported Tuesday within two hours, between 11:40 a.m. and 1:40 p.m., said CSUN police Capt. Scott Vanscoy.

No incidents have been reported since.

The victims were all students who were accosted while walking on Prairie and Vincennes streets near the campus, Vanscoy said.

The man engaged the women in conversation and in some cases asked for a hug. When the women protested, he groped their buttocks and ran away.

Police have increased patrols in the area and are following up on a few leads developed in the case, Vanscoy said. This is the first week of fall classes at the campus.

“It’s sort of a unique situation in the manner in which he conducts himself before the groping where he has a conversation and asks for a hug,” Vanscoy said.

The suspect was described as being in his late 20s, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a slender build and a mustache. He was carrying a black backpack and wearing a black baseball cap, black T-shirt and black pants.

Anyone with information was asked to call police at (818) 677-3826.

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carla.rivera@latimes.com

Twitter: @CarlaRiveraLat