Several sexual assaults in the Silver Spring area

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The Washington Post article "3 Teens in Montgomery Report Home Intrusions."

Police reported that two teenage girls were attacked in their homes after school this month and that another teenage girl witnessed a man trying to enter her home on Monday, Nov. 22, according to The Washington Post.

The first attack involved a 13-year-old girl who was raped in Colesville. The other two girls were not sexually assaulted, but there has been a rise in similar incidents within the past 10 days, all of which are linked to the same man.

Police believe it is possible the man has been watching various neighborhoods to find potential victims. "It looks like he's doing some homework," said Eric Brunett of the Montgomery police to The Washington Post.

The man is consistently described to the police as a Hispanic male between the ages of 30 and 40, 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 9, with a medium to stocky build.

After the first two intrusions, the man left the homes on foot, while in the third, he left in a red, older-model, four-door car, reported The Washington Post.

Children are advised to be cautious when entering unoccupied homes, never open their door to a stranger and be aware of possible escape routes and people they can contact. Police suggest that children state loudly, "Hi, I'm home," as if they expect their parents to be there.

According to The Washington Post, police advise children who think they are being followed to go to a neighbor's house, not an unoccupied home. Children should not enter their home if anything seems awry and should call 911 from elsewhere.

Police reported that the first attack on the 13-year-old Colesville girl took place at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 12. The man had entered the house through a rear window and then raped and sexually assaulted her.

The next attack occurred on Nov. 18 at about 4:30 p.m on the 9500 block of Saybrook Avenue in the Indian Spring Hills community of Silver Spring. A 14-year-old girl entered her house and heard a noise. She saw a man run downstairs and was almost out the front door when she screamed. The man returned and punched her in the face.

Police told The Post that he entered through an unlocked sliding door.

The most recent incident occurred on Monday in the 10800 block of Jewett Street in Wheaton. A 14-year-old girl returned home and 15 minutes later, she heard the doorbell ring.

She saw a man who walked to a red car, possibly a Toyota, and drove off. In a few minutes, she saw him return and approaching her front door again. He rang the doorbell again. She called friends who were able to come quickly, and the man was frightened off, according to The Washington Post.