Attacker chokes woman in bed

A twenty-year-old female was attacked in her home at the 400 block of South Dunn early Sunday morning. Bloomington Police Department officers responded to the call at 4:25 a.m. after the woman awoke to find an unknown man sitting on her bed. Sgt. David Drake said the man then started choking her with both hands until her screams awoke another person in the house. The man fled through the back door without being identified. \nOfficers reported that the woman had red marks on both sides of her neck and a cut around her chin and lower lip.\nPolice said they concluded the assailant entered the residence through an unlocked door. He is described as a white male, possibly in his early 20s, wearing a "winter style hat with flaps down over the ears," said Drake.\nAs of Monday afternoon, Drake reported the police don't have many leads.\n"There really wasn't a whole lot to follow up on," Drake said. "The officers tracked footprints in the snow until they lost track of them, but at this point in time, it's still under investigation."\nDrake said Bloomington residents can help deter home invasions with one simple step.\n"You would be amazed at how many people don't understand that they need to lock their doors ... lock your doors," Drake said. "For the most part, [invaders] won't go to the trouble of actually forcing their way in; they'll just move on to another house where the doors are unlocked"