Man attempts to sexually assault woman in Temecula parking lot, suspect at large

TEMECULA - A man who attempted to sexually assault a young woman in the parking lot of a Temecula strip mall remained at large today.

The attack happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday at the Meadows Village shopping center, located at the intersection of Rancho California Road and Meadows Parkway.

The 19-year-old woman told Riverside County sheriff's deputies that she was going through the parking lot toward a retail outlet when a man suddenly grabbed her and attempted to sexually assault her.

The victim screamed, and the suspect turned her loose, fleeing the area on foot, said sheriff's Sgt. Curt Harris.

The woman, who was not injured, described her attacker as white, in his early 20s, about 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall, with short unkempt brown hair.

Anyone with information was urged to call the sheriff's Temecula station at (951) 696-3000.