Dunedin police are warning people to keep their wits about them as the hunt for an alleged sex offender continues.
A man is alleged to have attacked a 31-year-old woman in her Mornington home on Sunday night after the two of them had been involved in an altercation on the street outside the woman's house 15 minutes earlier.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis, of Dunedin, said the man was considered dangerous and people should be vigilant about keeping themselves safe.
The man believed to be responsible for the attacks was described as a Maori of stocky build and 1.7m tall, about 28 years old with short curly black hair and wearing blue jeans and a hoodie.
The woman was reported to have been assaulted by the man outside her Argyle St house in suburban Mornington during the altercation about 10.40pm.
She suffered a facial injury during the altercation, and about 15 minutes later she answered her front door expecting to see her boyfriend, when the man who had assaulted her earlier forced his way in and allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Her children, aged 4 and 6, were asleep inside the house at the time.
Officers had yesterday spoken with the 6-year-old son of the woman and the woman herself, but neither interview had taken their investigation much further, he said.
The woman was recovering well and was yesterday allowed into her house to collect some items.
Police were seeking two men seen walking along Argyle St about 10.30pm.
It appeared the woman did not know the men, Det Snr Sgt Croudis said.
Forensic staff had completed their scene examination of the house; however, it could take several weeks of laboratory testing before any results were known, he said.
There had been a good response from the public so far, but police were still interested in any information people had, he said.
The second man was described as a Caucasian with shaggy blond hair, of a similar age and slightly taller than his companion.
