Woman choked, assaulted in Walmart parking lot, police search for assailant

A woman in Visalia told police a man choked her and pulled her pants down in a Walmart parking lot before fleeing.

The woman was in the parking lot at Houston Avenue and Demaree streets just after 4 p.m. when a white man in his 40s, wearing a black beanie and gray hoodie, asked for help with his truck, police said in a news release.

The woman was putting items in her car and the man allegedly grabbed her from behind, pulling her pants down and choking her.

When the woman screamed, the man took off in a beige two-door truck, police said.

The woman did not seek medical treatment.

The man is now wanted on suspicion of assault with an intent to commit rape. He has not been identified.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Visalia Police Department’s anonymous crime hotline at 559-713-4738.

This story was originally published December 8, 2019 at 8:12 PM.