University Avenue

Man Punches Woman in the Face in Riverside Parking Garage

Note: Some imagery in this story may be disturbing to viewers.

Riverside police investigators Thursday released video they hope will help identify a man who struck a young woman in the face when she declined his sexual advances while preparing to leave a downtown parking garage.

The victim, whose identity was not released, suffered a major facial injury as a result of the assault, according to investigators.

Police said that the woman and her friends left a bar in the 3600 block of University Avenue about 3 a.m. on March 12 and walked to her car around the corner, in a multi-story parking garage at 3473 Orange St.

The woman said two men started following her.

"One of the friends starts to record us and he starts to say vulgar things to us," she told NBC4. 

The woman pulled out her own cellphone and started to record him as well. The video can be viewed here.

"He just starts dancing around like a weirdo," she said.

The woman was just getting into her car when she turned her head and the man suddenly punched her right in the eye.

The woman received treatment for her injury, which was serious but not life-threatening, investigators said.

The man was Hispanic, in his early 20s, about 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds, wearing a red and gray flannel long-sleeved shirt, dark jeans and a black baseball cap.

Anyone with information about the attack was asked to contact Detective David Smith at (951) 353-7103, or davidsmith@riversideca.gov.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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