KEY POINTS:
A young woman woke to find a strange man crouching over her in her Upper Hutt bedroom early yesterday morning, police say.
Detective Sergeant Tony Heathcote said the woman woke up about 2.45am to find the man crouching over her as she lay in bed, in a back section property on Whiteman's Rd, near the Silverstream shopping centre.
He grabbed her, but when she screamed, he ran out the front door.
A neighbour described the man as in his late teens or early 20s, light skinned, of medium build and about 1.7m tall. He had short dark curly hair and was clean-shaven. He was wearing white shorts and was carrying a small dark backpack.
The man was tracked by a police dog and handler into Dunn's St, Field St and on to Fergusson Drive. His trail was lost near the Silverstream railway underpass.
Police are urging local residents to be security-conscious and to contact police if they see any suspicious activity.
- NZPA
