San Diego police are seeking the help of the public to locate a man who robbed, beat and sexually assaulted a woman Saturday night.

In a community alert email issued by the UCSD police department, the suspect was described as a “black male adult, 25 to 30 years old, 5 foot 9 inches to 5 foot 11 inches, approximately 180 pounds with a medium or athletic build.” He has short black hair and a short black beard.

At the time of the assault, the suspect was wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt, gray shorts with vertical red stripes on the sides and black sneakers. He was carrying a backpack and was armed with a handgun.

San Diego police officers and detectives have been searching for the suspect in the University City area since Saturday night.

The victim was dropped off at the Venetian Apartments on Nobel Drive around 10:30 p.m. when she noticed a man following her, San Diego police Lt. Paul Phillips said. She continued to her apartment through a well-lit parking lot, where, as she unlocked the door, the man threw her onto the floor, pulled a black handgun and demanded she give him money.

“It was very violent,” Phillips said. “She complied with his request, but he didn’t end there.”

The assailant then choked the woman and forced her into the apartment, where he beat and sexually assaulted her. He ran away after the assault and is currently at large.

As of Monday, the victim was in the hospital with multiple facial fractures.

Phillips told reporters the suspect was a “very violent individual.”

“No crime is run-of-the-mill by any means, but this was a particularly violent incident that we have a lot of people working on,” he added.

Anyone with information about the incident, the suspect or his whereabouts should call San Diego Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-4357.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1000 to anyone with information that can lead to the assailant’s arrest.