In my neighborhood

Neighborhood on alert after south Minneapolis sexual assault

April 24, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) The Minneapolis Police Department Sex Crimes Unit is warning residents in the Corcoran neighborhood to be on alert after a sexual assault occurred there yesterday.

During the incident, which took place at approximately 2:30 p.m., a resident was beaten and sexually assaulted in her detached garage by an unknown male assailant. The victim fought with her attacker and he fled. During the attack the victim sustained relatively minor facial injuries.

The suspect is described as an unknown race male 20 to 40 years old, 5'9 to 6'0 tall with a medium build. The suspect is described as wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

The Sex Crimes Unit is asking that anyone with information about this case call Sgt. Darren Blauert at 612-673-2913. It is not believed that this case is related to any other sexual assault cases.

The PIO contact for this case is Sgt. William Palmer. The CCN for this case is 09-118099.




This is in my neighborhood. In fact, it is practically behind the in-home daycare that my daughter goes to every day. Needless to say, I was a bit wigged yesterday and still am today about it. It probably does not help that I actually like to watch the death dramas -- CSI, NCIS, Forensic Files, Cold Case, you get the picture -- so I have a fairly vivid, TV-influenced imagination. I'm always fairly careful. For instance the screen/storm door has a lock on it and if we are home, the door is locked. The front door and back doors are also locked. The windows are locked. The alarm is set. I know what my neighbors all look like. I know the cars that do and do not belong on my street. We've got 6 houses in a row that all have big dogs. I have two big dogs. And, I'm really good at calling 911. I've been through a few different self-defense classes. I know how to make myself big and loud. If attacked, I know that I have two goals 1) get out alive and 2) cause visible and serious injury to the perpetrator. I want the person to have to go to the hospital too.

And now, this is where some of you will do a double take, I very strongly feel that murderers and rapists and child molesters should all get the death penalty. Even if they don't take the life of the person they attack, they take so much from them -- their trust, their innocence, their sense of self, their sense of security. If they truly completely recover from it, it takes them ages to do it and it takes a lot of hard work.

I hope that they catch this man. I hope that they lock him away for a very, very long (MN does not have the death penalty). The crime lab truck was there. With the science today, I know that it is merely a matter of time. I just hope his time runs out before another person gets hurt.



And Resources, not just opinions:

FBI Crime Safety Page
National Crime Prevention Council
Crime Doctor
Minneapolis PD Community Crime Prevention