Police are searching for a man who they say tried to rape a woman inside her apartment in the Spring Garden section of Philadelphia.
The 28-year-old woman told police she was entering her apartment complex on the 600 block of North Broad Street back on Nov. 17 at 3:15 p.m. when an unidentified man followed her inside. The man then tried to sexually assault her, police said.
The woman managed to fight the man off after a struggle. She ran into the hallway where a neighbor heard her screaming and called 911.
Investigators say the suspect fled the woman’s apartment but hid inside the building for about 30 minutes before fleeing out onto Broad Street and then east on Wallace Street on foot as police arrived.
The owner of Lofts 640, where the incident took place, told NBC10 the suspect was able to enter the building because the employee at the lobby desk didn’t follow proper protocol and never questioned him. That employee was fired, according to the owner.
The owner also told NBC10 they changed the position of their courtyard cameras, are working to fix a broken gate and may add key fobs for certain doors to get into the apartment building.
Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect. If you have any information on the incident, please call Philadelphia Police.
