Woman assaulted during alleged South Hill burglary, suspect on loose

A South Hill woman came home Thursday night to find a burglar in her bedroom who then assaulted her with some type of an edged weapon before fleeing, according to the Spokane Police Department.

Officers responded to the alleged burglary shortly before 7 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 5000 block of South Palouse Highway, police said in a news release. A woman living at the apartment reported an unknown male in her bedroom who struck her in the face and cut her with a knife or box cutter when she confronted him.

The suspect then left the residence through a bedroom window before officers arrived.

She sustained minor injuries from the alleged felony assault, police said.

Officers set up a perimeter in an effort to locate the male. An officer with a K9 and the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit also responded, but police did not find the suspect.

The suspect may have entered the apartment through an unsecured slider door, according to the release. Members of the Forensics Unit also responded to process the scene.

The suspect is described as a 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10 white man with blue eyes, blond eye lashes and a heavy build, according to police. He was wearing a black ski mask and red hoodie with a white “fleur de-lis” emblem on the left side.

The edged weapon was described as having a curved steel blade with a black and red handle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference incident No. 2026-20009673.