CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Man Attacks Corona del Mar Woman With Gun

A man attacked a woman, hitting her with a gun, while trying to force his way into her Setting Sun Drive home Wednesday morning, police said.

The attack occurred just after 11 a.m. when a man knocked on the woman’s door in the 2900 block of Setting Sun Drive, which is above Harbor View Elementary School.

The man said he was trying to answer an ad selling a bicycle and couldn’t find the address, said Lt. Bill Hartford. The woman gave him directions, and he left.

“Five minutes later, he knocked on the door again,” Hartford said. “He said he still couldn’t find the place, and could she point it out.”

The woman stepped outside and was pointing to the address when the man attacked her.

“He tries to grab her and force her into the residence,” Hartford said. “She starts screaming and struggling.”

Her screams alerted a neighbor, who shouted. The man struck the woman’s forehead, possibly with a semiautomatic gun, Hartford said. He then fled the area in a vehicle.

The woman was treated by paramedics and taken to Hoag Hospital, and she was released several hours later. The man’s story about buying a bike apparently was a ruse, and it appears the man wanted to steal property from the victim’s home.

The man was about 5-feet-9 with a slim build, possibly with a mustache, Hartford said. The victim said he was Hispanic or Italian but spoke with no accent, and he wore a darke baseball cap, a blue and green shirt and dark trousers.

The woman will meet later today with a sketch artist, Hartford said.

“This is an extremely rare set of circumstances,” he said.”This is a very random incident.”

However, he added that the case should serve as a reminder to residents to be careful when opening a door to strangers, and to call police if someone in their neighborhood seems suspicious.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call detectives at (800) 555-NBPD.