Tacoma, WA neighborhood on edge after man assaults teenager

TACOMA, Wash. Tacoma police are investigating an indecent liberties case after a 16-year-old girl was assaulted while walking home in broad daylight Thursday evening.

It happened around 8 p.m. as the teenager, an international exchange student, was returning from playing tennis at Browns Point Elementary. Neighbors in the tight-knit community say a man followed the girl before approaching her from behind.

Ring camera captures moments before attack

Cameron Morgan, a nearby resident, shared Ring doorbell footage that shows the suspect following the teenager. According to the girl’s host family, the suspect shoved his face and hands into the girl’s backside.

The teenager was using Snapchat at the time of the encounter and began screaming. On the doorbell audio, the suspect can be heard saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” before running away.

“She was trying to act like she was on some type of video call,” the host dad told FOX 13. “She kind of felt scared like something creepy was happening.”

Neighbors report similar encounters

After the host family shared details of the assault in a neighborhood Facebook group, several residents commented that they had experienced similar encounters. Community members now believe the same individual may be responsible for multiple incidents in the area.

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