Decaturish passed along this press release from Emory…

Tucker, Ga. – The DeKalb County Police Department and Emory University Police are conducting a joint investigation into sexual assault incidents in the vicinity of the Emory campus.  The Departments have determined three open attempted sexual assault cases that occurred off campus in DeKalb County are possibly connected to a rape that occurred on Emory University’s campus on Feb. 11^th.   The DeKalb County Police incidents occurred between December 2013 and January 2014.

According to DeKalb County detectives, the victims were young females, walking alone in the Emory vicinity off campus when the suspect approached and attempted to overpower them.  The victims were able to fight off the suspect and alert police.  The victims were not physically injured.  The suspect is described as a white man, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, medium build and approximately 50 years old.  This description is consistent with the composite sketch the rape victim was able to provide Emory Police.

DeKalb County and Emory authorities are aggressively investigating these cases and are encouraging anyone with information about the suspect or anyone who may have been a victim to please contact the DeKalb County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit at  or Emory Police at .

Additionally, the community is encouraged to remain vigilant about their safety and exercise safety practices. Some safety practices include:

• People are encouraged to walk in groups, especially at night
• Avoid isolated and dimly lit areas
• Remain alert and aware of surroundings
• Avoid distractions such as texting, talking on phone
• Remove ear plugs/headphones; use only one side if needed
• Call 911 or alert campus police to report suspicious activity

UPDATE:  Here’s the AJC’s blurb on the incident.  No real new info.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the sensitive nature of this ongoing case and the fact that it involves a juvenile, the comments section is closed.

Decatur Deputy Chief Keith Lee sends along this press release…

The Decatur Police Department is investigating the sexual assault of a juvenile reported on October 31, 2011. The victim was transported to an area hospital by her parents, where she was treated and released. Investigators of the Decatur Police Department are pursuing several leads in the incident. Due to the age of the victim and the nature of the assault, the name of the victim is not being released.

As detailed in an earlier post, the alleged assault occurred around Winnona Park Elementary’s playground last night around 9pm and Decatur Police have had the area closed off since around 10:30pm, looking for evidence.

I spoke with Deputy Chief Lee just moments ago and he reiterated that this “terrible situation” was “an isolated incident”, and that the Police Department has some very strong leads in the case and hope to have it resolved quickly.

Additionally, I just received a report that WAGA just arrived on the scene, so expect this story to jump outside the city’s borders in the next few hours.