Alexandria Police are warning women to be alert, after a 22-year-old woman was assaulted while walking home from the Braddock Road Metro station Thursday night.

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Police say this is the second similar attack in less than three weeks in the Del Ray neighborhood.

And a sexual predator is still on the loose.

It's frightening news for residents here. Police aren't sure if both women were attacked by the same man because both cases happened in the dark and each time the man struck from behind.

The attack happened in the 100 block of East Maple Street, close to the woman's home.

A man grabbed her from behind, threw her to the ground, and tried to sexually assault her.

When the victim screamed, the suspect fled on foot toward Walnut Street.

On November 21, police say a young woman was jogging at 6 a.m. on East Del Ray Avenue when a man grabbed her from behind and threw her to the ground. Again, he tried to sexually assault her.

Police say the detectives are checking the possibility that the attacker in the two cases is the same person.

The description is pretty generic, except for one important detail. The race is unknown, 5'8" to 5'10", 25 to 30 years old, wearing a dark jacket.

But police point out he was wearing a winter knit cap with a red stripe.

Police are stepping up patrols in the neighborhood.