San Diego law enforcement has partnered with the UCSD Police Department to investigate two rapes of female students in the UCSD area.

DNA evidence and how the crimes were committed showed that the same suspect was involved with both crimes, San Diego Police Department officials said. To expedite investigations, the city decided this month to enlist efforts of university police to catch the suspect. According to victim and witness reports, the perpetrator was an Asian male between 30 and 40 years old, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing between 140 and 180 pounds.

Both crimes occurred in the early morning hours, police said, when the suspect forced his way into the victims’ homes through unlocked windows.

The first sexual assault occurred at an apartment complex on Cargill Avenue on June 13, 2005 according to UCSD Sgt. Tom Morris. The second rape was also close to campus, and occurred on Charmant Drive on March 6 of this year. Police declined to release any more information on the suspect or incidents. Both locations were within a mile of Regents Road, which connects directly with the UCSD campus.

In total, there were 11 rapes in the University City and La Jolla area last year, according to local police department statistics.

Readers can Charles Nguyen at [email protected].