Suffolk police are searching for an unknown assailant after a 17-year-old girl reported being sexually assaulted on her way to school in Mastic Beach Monday.

The victim says she was accosted by a white male in a wooded area while she was walking to William Floyd High School around 8:30 a.m. She says the man grabbed her, pushed her to the ground and fondled her. The victim fought with the attacker until he fled south on Mastic Road, police say.

The victim returned home and called police. She was treated at a nearby hospital and was subsequently released. The school district says it immediately informed parents of the alleged attack with its automated phone system.

Some parents are calling for increased police presence near the school in the morning and at dismissal time.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and that the incident is not connected to one that occurred last week. They ask anyone with information about the incident to call 631-852-8752 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.