Sex attack report unnerves neighbors in Southwest Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A report of a sexual assault  on Thursday morning sent police swarming through a Southwest Austin neighborhood while a helicopter searched the area from the sky.

No one was arrested and police called off the search, but were still investigating. The hourlong commotion left many in the area unnerved.

"We just heard the helicopter repeatedly circling the area," said Melissa Kelly-Rhodes, who lives just a couple of blocks from the crime scene. "All the neighbors are very close on our block, so everybody usually texts each other if something like this is going on or sends out emails."

• Photos: Police search for sex assault suspect

The call came Thursday morning from and apartment in southwest Austin at the Legacy at Western Oaks Apartments. That's just off Davis Lane near MoPac Boulevard.

The man was described as being in his late 20s or early 30s. He is 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and around 170 to 180 pounds. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

Police responded to the report before 9 a.m. They say the victim called 911 herself, and the suspect ran. She told police she didn't know the man. She was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Officers surrounded the neighborhood, setting up a perimeter with hopes of tracking the man down.
 

Crime stats update

The Austin Police Department's crime tracker showed 1,600 reported in Southwest Austin since January 2012. The numbers showed two sexual assaults in that time period.  One aggravated assault was also reported in that area.

"It's just a little bit unnerving," said Kelly-Rhodes, "Whether we should leave the house or stay in the house. We made sure all the doors were locked."

Wooded areas, parks and trails surround the apartment complex and neighborhood.. Police say the last account of the suspect was near Dick Nichols Park.

On down Davis Lane is Mills Elementary School. AISD Police patrolled that area for the day as a precaution.

Principal Pat Butler sent an email to parents at 9:18 a.m. explaining the situation, adding that they were in no immediate danger and that the "shelter in place" was happening as a precaution.

Officials said the suspect ran through a place near the school, but he was never on the campus. The lockdown was lifted around 11 a.m.

For people like Kelly-Rhodes, the incident hits close to home. The intersection just in front of the apartment complex is a school bus stop.

"They go to the bus stop early in the morning," she said, referring to her daughter, "Luckily it's a group of kids--it's a group of teenage kids mixed with boys and girls--but still,  it doesn't make you feel very comfortable to let them go out on their own."