Police searching for suspect in attempted sexual assault in Burbank

Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly tried to sexually assault a woman Sunday night in southwest suburban Burbank.

About 11:15 p.m., the woman was returning to her home in the 7800 block of Laporte Avenue when she saw the male suspect pass her as he walked north in the block, according to Burbank police. When she got out of her vehicle, she saw the suspect running toward her.

The suspect then tackled her from behind and tried to sexually assault her, at which point she started yelling and activated her vehicle’s alarm, police said. A neighbor who was sleeping in a nearby home heard her screams and came to her aid.

When the neighbor tried to help the woman, the suspect ran off north toward 78th Street, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, police said.

The suspect is described as a black male, thought to between the ages of 20 and 25, standing between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-7, weighing between 130 and 150 pounds with short hair, police said. He was seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and athletic shorts with a gray stripe. He may have been carrying a backpack.

Anyone with information about the incident should call police at (708) 924-7300.