A woman was physically and sexually assaulted in her apartment on Ivy Drive early yesterday morning.
An unidentified male entered her third-floor apartment through an unlocked balcony door at approximately 2 a.m. yesterday, according to an Albemarle Country Police Department press release.
The apartment building, Ivy Gardens, is located in the 100 block of Ivy Drive near Ivy Road. It houses many Darden and Law School students, residents said.
The suspect is a male, 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 170 to 200 pounds, according to the press release.
The victim was taken to the University Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
The incident is the second sexual assault in the Charlottesville area in the last 13 days.
On Sept. 14 at approximately 9 a.m., three men reportedly abducted a 20-year-old woman on Rt. 29 North near Hydraulic Road. They took her to a wooded area where they raped and robbed her before releasing the victim.
The suspects have been identified as three black males between the ages of 19 and 25.
Police do not have evidence indicating the two incidents are connected, Albemarle County spokeswoman Lee Catlin said.
But "whenever you have anything that happens close together, of a similar nature, that's considered as a possibility," Catlin said.
Those crimes are atypical for the Charlottesville area, she said.
"In the County, the great majority of crimes are property crimes," Catlin said.
Students should keep their doors locked and windows closed, Catlin said, and call police if they detect any suspicious activity around their residences.
"It's pretty surprising," said Pepin Tuma, second-year Law student residing at Ivy Gardens. "Most of us think of Charlottesville as a pretty safe area."
Tuma said he would think more about security issues.
"Security is normally in the back of your mind, but it's not a primary concern," he said. The assault "definitely makes you think twice about everything from leaving your door open to walking alone."
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