Police have issued a community alert after the latest in a series of sexual assaults in the normally quiet Lakeview neighborhood.

Last Friday, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a young woman was carrying bags into her apartment on the 700 block of West Cornelia Avenue when a man approached and offered to help. The woman refused, but the man followed her into the building anyway and began to choke her, police said today.

The woman fought him off, escaping what Sgt. Debra DeYoung of the Chicago Police Department said was an attempted sexual assault. The man fled on an older blue bicycle.

This attack came after a string of five attacks in Lakeview that are believed by police to involve the same attacker, a Hispanic male.

The most recent incident, however, is believed to have been perpetrated by a different suspect.

"It's very alarming," said DeYoung.

The attacker is described as a white male, aged 28 - 32 years old, 5'9" - 5'11" tall and weighing 175 pounds. He has brown hair, dark eyes, facial hair and a medium complexion. He was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt and dark shorts.

Anyone with information is urged to call Area 3 detectives at (312) 744-8261.

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