SAN MARCOS, Texas — Editor's Note: This incident has become a part of a string of similar assaults at San Marcos apartments. Click here for updates and a timeline on all of the incidents.
According to the San Marcos Police Department, officers are still searching for a man who's accused of sexually assaulting two roommates at an apartment complex on Thursday, May 2.
The sexual assault happened The Retreat apartment complex on the corner of Ranch Road 12 and Craddock Avenue.
Friday evening, police released a sketch of the man they believe is tied to the assault at The Retreat, as well as incidents at Capstone Cottages. Police said one of the victims saw his face and was able to give a description. He is described as a black man, approximately six foot, two inches to six foot, three inches tall, last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, black glvoes and a black mask covering his face and hair.
During a press conference Friday morning, police said the suspect held two roommates at gunpoint inside their apartment before he proceeded to "bind" them. The man then allegedly physically and sexually assaulted the roommates for approximately two to three hours before running away from the scene.
The victims then called 911, but the suspect was gone before officers arrived, police said.
The suspect was described as a black man, wearing black clothing and a ski mask. He was armed with a handgun at the time of the incident.
Police said the suspect may still be in the area.
The Retreat's general manager sent the following email to the complex's residents:
"Dear Residents:
We were notified by San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) that there was an unauthorized entry and sexual assault that occurred on property. They believe the perpetrator is still at large and armed. The SMPD responded to the incident and is investigating. If you have any information regarding this incident please call the SMPD at 512-753-2109.
We recommend our residents to stay in their units with their doors and windows locked. Use your peephole to confirm the identity of anyone at your door. Do not open your door to anyone you do not know. If you have a lock that is not functioning, please notify management immediately.
Please report any criminal activity to police by calling 911. Please report suspicious activity to management."
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Grace Edmundson lives at The Retreat and is used to going to the gym at night with her roommate.
"Honestly, The Retreat is really homey," Edmundson said. "We felt really safe until all of this happened. We never locked our door prior to this because it's a good place. You never really had to worry about anything. Now we're all on edge."
Michael Howell also lives at The Retreat and feels similar to Edmundson.
"I thought it was crazy because it's a small town, and I wouldn't think something like that would happen around here," Howell said. "I feel like right now it's creating a mass hysteria, so people are freaking out."
Police also searched other nearby areas including Crest Drive, which includes homes and duplexes. Cary Clevenger lives on that street and described what he saw when police were near his home.
"I was in my house on my laptop, and I got a SnapChat from these guys," Clevenger said. "I walked out my front door, and I saw the police walking down the alley between my house and the neighbor's house. One had an AR drawn and the other had a pistol. It was a little exciting for an otherwise quiet Thursday afternoon.
On April 24, San Marcos police responded to an aggravated assault at the Capstone Cottages apartment complex, right down the street from The Retreat. Police said Thursday that they are still looking for the suspect in that incident and that the MO and description of the suspect in the Thursday incident "closely match" that of the April 24 incident.
A similar incident occurred at Capstone Cottages on April 30, where a man entered an occupied apartment and threated the resident with a gun. Police are still searching for the suspect in that incident as well, but did not say it was connected to either of the other two incidents.
"It has to be unnerving for everyone," Clevenger said.
"I hope everyone is super aware and is a lot more cautious not only at night but during the day," Edmondson said. "People need to not go alone, which is really sad to say. But that's the world we live in, unfortunately."
If you have any information about the incidents at Capstone Cottages or The Retreat, you are urged to call San Marcos police.
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