Police are investigating whether a string of sexual assaults and lewd acts toward women near the Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom areas may be related.
Three victims reported disturbing encounters with a man near Dupont Circle on Wednesday night.
About 10:35 p.m., a woman walking on the 1500 block of R Street Northwest was approached by a man. He lifted her dress and sexually assaulted her, police say. The suspect then ran off.
One minute later, another women saw a man leaning against a fence and exposing his genitals, police say. When she walked away, police say the man followed her. She got away and reported the encounter to police.
About 11:15 p.m., a third woman walking on the 1500 block of P Street was approached from behind and sexually assaulted, police say. The suspect then fled.
All three women gave police a similar description of the perpetrator. The suspect is described as a 25- to 35-year-old white man, between 6 feet and 6 feet, 2 inches tall with an athletic build, police say. He was last seen wearing a sleeveless, dark hooded shirt, dark shorts and running shoes.
Police describe these attacks as misdemeanor sex abuses and a lewd, indecent or obscene act.
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Authorities told News4 that they are investigating whether these three incidents are related to each other or another sex assault that occurred July 22.
In that case, a man approached a woman in a Foggy Bottom apartment building about 11 p.m.
The suspect tried to remove his victim's clothing, police say. Surveillance video shows a man following quickly behind a woman. Police say that man is a person of interest in the case, News4 reported.
Police told News4 they weren't ruling out whether the case was connected to two other sex crimes in Dupont Circle. One woman was brazenly assaulted about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13 on New Hampshire Avenue. On Sunday, June 24 about 11 p.m. a female walking down Newport Place was grabbed and assaulted, police say. That woman told police the perpetrator was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall.
Anyone with information on any of these cases is asked to contact police. You may be eligible for a $1,000 reward in each case.