Assistance is available to residents who may be living in fear due to a string of sexual attacks against elderly women in and around Leon County.
Three cases involving elderly women being attacked or sexually assaulted have been reported in Leon County within the past few months, and they may be related, said Victor Smith, an investigator for the Leon County Sheriff's Office.
And in October, an 88-year-old Centerville woman reported hearing someone inside her home and fired gunshots before escaping and calling authorities, officials said.
Additionally, officials said, two women in their 90s were sexually assaulted in eastern Bell County near the Milam County line.
Smith said he has gotten a lot of tips since seeking the public's help in solving the cases.
"We're answering a lot of calls, but that's not a problem," he said. "We're running down all of our leads and tips."
Officials said that, in some cases, the attacker has cut phone lines before entering a home.
"Inspect your home for obvious signs someone's tried to get in it," Smith said. "Check to see if your windows have been tampered with, if screens are off, for broken glass, anything out of the norm around your house."
Tanya Foster, a victims' advocate for Leon County, said she's reminding residents, especially elderly women, to be cautious and aware of their surroundings. Family members of elderly women should check on their relatives daily, she said.
Foster said she is available to help residents who are alone.
"We have some people that don't have family, and they need that bond with someone. And at this point, they're not trusting anybody," she said. "We can help them."
Residents attacked in Leon County can contact Foster before calling authorities if they're more comfortable reporting the incident that way, she said.
"We just need to remember when people come forward, especially elderly people who can be quite ashamed, we need to believe them," Foster said. "You have to understand there is no single or typical emotional response to sexual assault. Each person is different in how they deal with the situation."
Four local victims advocates are available in Leon and Madison counties, said Heather Wheeler, director of the outreach program at the Sexual Assault Resource Center in Bryan-College Station. There are more than 20 victims advocates in Brazos County.
Victims' advocates are available to assist victims from the time immediately following an attack all the way through the healing process, advocate officials said.
"I'm going to be there with them from the sexual assault kit at the hospital to whatever assistance [is] needed all the way through counseling," Foster said. "Healing is a very slow process, and the older the victim, the harder it is to get that freedom back."
Wheeler said it's a myth that attractive women are more likely to be attacked.
"It's not about what you're wearing, it's not about how physically attractive you are, it's about how easy of a target you are, how vulnerable you look," she said.
If someone is raped, she should not change clothes, take a shower, brush her teeth or use the bathroom before being examined at a hospital, Wheeler said.
"The evidence is gone within 72 hours," she said. "You can get an exam done without reporting the incident to authorities, and it doesn't cost anything. The kits are sent to a [Department of Public Safety] lab and held up to two years while you decide if you want to press charges."
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