Bowdoin security and Brunswick police are investigating a report of a female student being grabbed by a stranger while walking early Sunday morning.

The student reported she was grabbed from behind by a man at 1:40 a.m. while walking alone on Longfellow Avenue near Coffin Street, according to a security alert put out by Bowdoin Security. She reported the incident at 2:17 a.m., the alert said.

The incident follows reports of a rape on Nov. 10 and an attempted assault on Nov. 17.

On Sunday morning, the woman was walking from the Harpswell Apartments to the Brunswick Apartments. When the man grabbed her, she was able to break free and escape, running to the Brunswick Apartments. She met friends there who drove her back to Harpswell Apartments then notified police.

The woman described the man as 30 to 35 years old, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall and skinny with very short dark hair, brown eyes, a few days growth of facial hair with what appeared to be a tattoo on his arm, the alert said.

The attacker wore a black hooded sweatshirt with a zipper, a white T-shirt and baggy jeans, the alert said.

The student told police she was talking on her cellphone when she was grabbed. She was able to escape without injury, the alert said.

The security alert urged students to be aware of their surroundings, and to avoid listening to music or talking on the telephone when walking. It also suggested walking in pairs and in well-lit areas and encouraged students to take advantage of the Bowdoin Shuttle or Brunswick Taxi, which is subsidized by the college.

The alert asks that students report any suspicious incidents immediately by calling 911.

On Nov. 10, a female college student reported that she was raped inside her residence at Mayflower Apartments, an off-campus complex affiliated with the school. The young woman said she did not know her assailant, who is believed to have entered the building through an unlocked door.

On Nov. 17, a 20-year-old student walking home from campus said she was grabbed by the waist from behind around 8 p.m. as she walked alone on Potter Street. She broke free and ran away unharmed. She was not able to provide a description of her attacker.

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