Suspect covers Va. woman's face with pillowcase before assault

ARLINGTON, Va. - A 29-year-old woman was attacked from behind by a man as she was walking home, Arlington County police said.

The incident happened around 2:45 a.m. Saturday in the 1900 block of North Highland Street.

Investigators say the woman was walking home alone from the Clarendon bars about half mile up the street when she was approached from behind by an unknown man and attacked with a pillowcase.

"Put a pillowcase over her head -- extremely frightening -- threw her to the ground in an attempt to get on top of her to sexually assault her," said Arlington County Police spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck.

Police said the victim kicked and screamed and the suspect took off with the pillowcase in hand.

But attacks similar to this one have happened throughout Arlington. This is the fourth reported attack in just two weeks.

Arlington County police are not ready to say that these incidents are related or that they are potentially dealing with a serial attacker.

"We're not definitively saying they are same suspect," said Sternbeck.

The first happened back on July 31 on S. Harrison Street on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. Then two other attacks happened the very next day on S. Courthouse Road and on N. Pershing Drive.

Police have released a sketch for the July 31st attack, but there is still no arrest in that case.

Police say in these cases, time is of the essence. The most recent victim waited until the next morning before calling police and limiting their search for the suspect.