"It could've been anyone of us," one neighbor said. "I can't believe that it's happening here. I always have felt safe living down this street. I purposefully moved over here to this area to feel safe, and so, if that's happening in our neighborhood, that's kind of concerning to me."
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It happened on July 8 just before 3:30 a.m. on North Sheffield Avenue near Armitage.
"If we were out that night it could've been us," said Sophia Pethokoukis, who lives nearby. "The fact that something so horrific happened so close to us is definitely unsettling."
The victim was visiting a from out of town, and had just arrived at her friend's home when, police said, the suspect came up from behind and sexually assaulted her before running away.
"I keep a pepper spray at all times, as well. I try to keep myself safe and aware of my surroundings, but I know that nothing's guaranteed. You just got to look out for yourself and others," one neighbor said. "I feel just like tremendous empathy towards her, and I hope we can figure out who this guy is."
Pictures of the alleged attacker were captured at a CTA train station. Police released those images on Friday.
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The suspect is described as being about 5-foot-9 to 6 feet tall, 160 to 175 pounds, and looked to be between the ages of 25 to 35. He had short, balding black hair with unshaven facial hair. The suspect was also seen wearing a black t-shirt and multi-colored drawstrings.
Wendi Taylor Nations said she learned more about the attack at a recent neighborhood meeting.
"I am horrified," Nations said. "I would hug her, and I would tell her that the community supports her. I feel terrible that this was a visitor to Chicago who was brutally assaulted right around the corner from where I live."
There are several home cameras on that block. Police are asking those neighbors to check their video for that day between the times of 3 a.m. to 4 a.m.
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