Update Tuesday at 14:00 hours No arrests made in Fort Bragg sexual assault, Cops dig in, fan out. Officers voluntary pick up shifts on days off and have mounted extra patrols. New information now allows better description
Editor’s note- update from FBPD at 2 p.m Tuesday from Fort Bragg Police Sgt. Jonathan McLaughlin:
“In regard to the sexual assault investigation. Officers are still following up on several leads. This includes leads acquired from social media and by other means. As I implied in my last email, it was difficult to provide a specific physical description at this time as we are basing his height off a visual estimate utilizing primarily video surveillance. Yesterday, officers physically measured an object he was standing near in the surveillance footage. With that in mind the most up-to-date description I have from the time of incident (some of which was acquired last night) is a white male adult, approximately 5’7 to 6’, between 160 to 180 lbs wearing a beige sweatshirt, beige face mask, shorts, and leggings. Officers are conducting extra patrols during the night hours and are contacting and identifying any suspicious persons they encounter. Officers have voluntarily adjusted their shifts and working through their days off this week to conduct this investigation and provide better patrol coverage during the evening hours. Officers have canvassed the area several blocks in each direction from the area of the incident to attempt to locate any surveillance footage. The public portal is open, and the public is urged to submit all surveillance of suspicious activity. Not only from the night of the incident, but any suspicious activity they observe in their area. We will continue to work through and investigate any leads. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Farris at gfarris@fortbraggca.gov or contact us at (707)964-0200,” said an email that arrived Tuesday just before 2 p.m from Fort Bragg Police Sgt. Jonathan McLaughlin.
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The original story:
The Fort Bragg Police Department is seeking a man wearing a hoodie and leggings who wore a face and neck covering gator masks, attacked a woman early Saturday morning in the South Harrison and Hazel Streets area. A press release was released Sunday morning. Sunday the investigation continued and police provided updates on the height of the suspect and the fact this was a stranger attack. Sexual attacks by strangers are only common in movies. In real life, only about 17 percent of sexual assaults and rapes are committed by strangers. Most come from an intimate partner, an ex or someone the victim knows. One in five women endures sexual assault in her life. But this does not equate to one in five men being a sexual assaulted. Sexual predators usually commit multiple assaults in their lives. As of the end of Sunday, there were no further developments. Check back here tomorrow.
Stranger attacks are rare. Police confirm that she did NOT know the suspect.
**MEDIA RELEASE**
Fort Bragg Police Investigating Sexual Assault
06/21/2025
On June 21, 2025, at approximately 3:00 AM, officers from the Fort Bragg Police Department responded to the 400 block of S Harrison Street for a report of a sexual assault. Initial investigation revealed that the suspect knocked on the victim’s window before forcing entry into the residence and sexually assaulting the victim.
Law enforcement has reviewed surveillance footage from the area and observed the suspect to be an adult male, wearing a neck-gator style mask, a hooded sweatshirt and leggings. He was last seen in the vicinity of the S. Harrison Street and Hazel Street between 1:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.
Officers canvassed the area searching for the suspect and contacting neighbors seeking further video surveillance. Officers have also begun taking other investigative steps in order to attempt to identify the suspect. The Fort Bragg Police Department is asking all residents in the area to review their surveillance footage from 1:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. on June 21, 2025, and submit anything relevant via the online community portal.
To utilize the portal, please visit the link below or utilize the attached quick-response code (QR Code). The portal will send a link by either text or email for the reporting party to upload the evidence and allow the person submitting to provide a brief statement about when and where the activity occurred. The portal also accepts anonymous submissions. Simply uncheck “provide my information” and your submission will remain anonymous. Submissions to the portal will be uploaded directly to evidence.com where officers can review them.
Citizens are also urged to report any suspicious activity or individuals in their neighborhoods by calling (707) 964-0200 or 911 for emergencies
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Officer Moore with the Fort Bragg Police Department at (707)964-2800 ext. 225 or email amoore@fortbraggca.gov.
https://fortbraggpdca.evidence.com/…/sexualassaultsuspe…
This information is being released by Sergeant Jonathan McLaughlin. All media inquiries should contact him at jmclaughlin@fortbraggca.gov.
My old professor, author and investigative journalist James Neff wrote about rape in his book “unfinished murder”. It shows how awful sexual assault can be. It also reveals that rape and sexual assault often start with peeping tom behavior. Rapists who hide their identity have been caught by people who have observed their stalking or peeping in the past and shared that with police (NOT FACEBOOK!!!!). Using data and studies of published science, the book debunks many of the common ideas about this horrific crime and shows the devastating impact it has, hence the “unfinished murder” title
Here is one review:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-neff/unfinished-murder
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