Visalia Police searching for man who choked, sexually assaulted woman in Walmart parking lot

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Visalia Police are looking for a man who allegedly choked a woman and sexually assaulted her in the parking lot of a Walmart.

The incident occurred at about 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon in the area of Houston and Demaree.

The man approached the woman while she was in the parking lot, and asked her for help with his vehicle.

She described him to police as a white man in his forties, wearing a black beanie cap and a grey hoodie.

As she was placing something in her car, the man grabbed her from behind, pulled her pants down, and choked her, police say.

The woman began screaming and the man left in a beige colored truck.

The news left many shoppers on high alert.

"For me at least I've always thought that could happen, I carry mace with me and I'm very careful when I'm out night," said Mari Cruz Gonzalez.

Cruz Gonzalez frequents the store, usually she has someone come with her.

She now plans to be extra cautious when she makes her visits.

"I always make sure I have my keys before I leave the store," she said. "I have them in my pocket and I'm not going to lie, if I'm alone I have my mace ready."

If anyone has information about the case, police are urging them to call the Visalia PD Anonymous Crime Hotline at 559-713-4738.