Oceanside: 36-year-old woman accosted by prowler

A woman awoke in her home near the Center City Golf Course today to find her mouth covered by the hand of a strange man, who fled moments later when her dog went after him, police reported.

The 36-year-old victim was accosted by the prowler at her house in the 500 block of Vine Street in Oceanside about 6:15 a.m., just after her husband left for work, Oceanside police Lt. Valencia Saadat said.

The woman's dog then confronted the man, prompting him to flee.

The resident, who was uninjured, described the intruder as a clean-shaven, short-haired man, possibly in his 30s. There were no signs of forced entry to the residence, Saadat said.