An 18-year-old female from Madison was sexually assaulted on the 100 block of North Park Street at shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday morning.

According to a Madison police release, the suspect is described as a Hispanic or Asian male, 5-foot-2, weighing between 120-130 pounds. He is described as having black hair and eyes and was wearing a black T-shirt with blue jeans and a silver chain around his neck with a pendant during the assault.

The female victim was walking alone on Park Street after traveling part of the way home with a friend.

According to Madison Public Information Officer Emily Samson, the suspect approached the victim from behind and asked her for a lighter and a cigarette.

The victim and suspect engaged in conversation when the suspect lifted the victim’s coat and put his hands between her legs. The unidentified suspect then physically turned her around and thrust his body against hers repeatedly while she was facing away, according to the release.

The victim told police that she yelled at the suspect loudly throughout this assault and that he did let her go and run away from the area of the incident.

Samson added there was a male in the area that did not witness the assault but saw the female and the suspect talking before it occurred.

The male witness told officers the female seemed uncomfortable during the conversation, Samson said.

The witness also heard the female’s screams and ran back to her as the suspect fled on foot.

“The victim did have a cell phone on her,” Samson said. “[S]he did dial a friend’s number on her cell phone during her exchange with the suspect which is good thinking, but you can’t rely on that.”

Samson said although telling a friend where you are can help, it still could lead to assault.

“It’s important to not to be by yourself at four in the morning, even if you think you only have two blocks left to walk — a lot can happen in two blocks,” Samson said.

Jane Goemans, SAFE Nighttime Services Coordinator, said no one has to walk home alone and there are a number of options, including getting picked up or walked.

Goemans said although SAFEwalk has boundaries, there are portions of campus that fall into flexible areas were walkers will take people home.

“We will certainly walk people within the area within boundaries,” Goemans said.

SAFEwalk does not operate past 1 a.m. although SAFEcab, a program providing students with a free taxi service, runs until 3 a.m., 6 a.m. during finals week.

Goemans suggested a cab ride would be the best option for students after 3 a.m.

She added she thinks Madison is a safe community and people tend to think of where they live as a safe place, despite a number of assaults this semester.

“When you go out, have a plan on how to get back home,” Goemans said. “Whether that means going with a friend, planning for a SAFEwalk or ride — know how you’re going to get home before you go out.”

Samson, who worked as a SAFEwalker during college, urged students to use the program.

“Some people may find it a little inconvenient to wait five to 10 minutes [for a walker], but when opposed to possibly [being] assaulted, it’s worth it,” Samson said.

This assault follows a previous sexual assault that occurred on the 100 block of Langdon Street around midnight Nov. 21. The woman entered the front door of her security-locked building and walked up the stairwell.

She was then grabbed from behind and pushed down the stairs.

Her unknown male attacker attempted to rip off her clothing items while she struggled for approximately 20 seconds. The victim was able to break free from her attacker, flee to a nearby room and call police.