WARNING: This story may have disturbing details. Discretion is advised.
A man matching the description of a sexual assault suspect who entered a Linda Vista home last week and assaulted a 5-year-old girl returned to the same home on Sunday morning, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Police launched an investigation after a man was reported sexually assaulting a sleeping girl in the home near Linda Vista Road and Mesa College Drive around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Around 3:25 a.m. on Sunday, a man matching that previous suspect's description was seen on surveillance cameras returning to that same home and attempting to get into the property again, San Diego police said.
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The man entered the side yard and garage but failed to enter the home, police said, adding that residents remained safe.
"We still don't have a linkage to exclusively say it's the same person. We're still investigating. We have physical evidence to process, but we would like to identify the individual that we now have surveillance footage of," SDPD Lt. Michael Swanson said.
Police are asking for further help identifying the suspect, who appears to be a man in his early 20s with dark hair. He was seen wearing a dark hoodie sweatshirt with light printing down the left sleeve and an unknown image on the front of the hoodie. The suspect was seen wearing light colored sweatpants, dark shoes, a backpack and a bicycle.
The department says it has been canvasing the neighborhood, trying to get as much information as possible.
NBC 7's Jeanette Quezada spoke with neighbors who are especially concerned for the safety of their own kids.
"I have a 6-year-old as well and an older child, and it's very uneasy, especially when my husband is constantly gone, and so it would be nice to have more help and more security," neighbor Diana Walters, who described the community as being filled with military families, said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or video surveillance from the area is encouraged to call the Child Abuse Unit at 619-531-2210 or SDPD non-emergency line at 619-531-2000.
Previous reporting on this story
The original incident
During the original encounter, police said the man entered the home through an unlocked door and "fondled" the 5-year-old girl, according to officials with the San Diego Police Department and a spokesperson for the city of San Diego.
The girl screamed when she woke up, alerting her parents, SDPD Lt. Michael Swanson said.
A neighbor told NBC 7 the community was military housing. Authorities urged the community to be vigilant and keep doors and windows locked.
Adriana Geiwitz has been staying next door to help watch her grandchildren. She says there are a lot of children in the community and that when they all get home from school, they flood the streets, riding their bikes at the park. Her 10-year-old granddaughter is one of them.
"She used to go and then come back when it gets dark. That's how safe it is here. It was," Geiwitz said.
The other next-door neighbor, Lacy Chavez, has a 10-year-old of her own. Chavez said her family did not hear anything happening during the night.
"We do the best that we can for our kids," Chavez said. "There's no one to blame for this except for the person who did it."
Both neighbors told NBC 7 that they were in the process of getting security cameras after the incident. Chavez said they "never needed them" before.
"We ordered them this morning. A little too late, but we got them," Geiwitz said.
No other information was immediately provided.
NBC 7's Shandel Menezes and Jeanette Quezada contributed to this report.
