A baseball cap that may have been left by a Fort Collins sex assault suspect was discovered by a victim on Monday, police said. Authorities called a Wednesday press conference to show a similar cap (pictured, right) to the media. The black cap had an all-white Quicksilver brand insignia on the front and solid white "Quicksilver" lettering on the back. (This pictured hat has a dark green outline of the Quicksilver logo.) "It’s a very valuable piece of evidence for us. We believe it will link us directly to the suspect," police spokeswoman Rita Davis said. The victim was attacked last Thursday, but didn't discover the cap in her apartment until Monday because she has a number of baseball caps of her own, police said. Authorities were hoping that the cap contains essential DNA evidence from hair fibers or sweat. The cap was sent for testing at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Anyone who might know someone who had a similar cap was asked to contact Fort Collins police. "As it is right now, I think it's still kind of frightening, because (police) don't have a suspect's name, but I think it's encouraging that the police have some evidence that they're going after," a resident identified only as Kim said. Police are hoping to release a composite sketch of the suspect within the next few days. Police were also interviewing employees of a Fort Collins brewpub about the attack, which was the latest in a series of six sexual assaults on women in apartments. Livestream: We'll Livestream The DEA News Conference Here At 10 A.M.
Julie Hayden Reports On The Investigation
Rita Davis Discusses Latest Attack
Residents On Guard After Sex Assault Police won't comment on which leads they are following. But an employee at Coopersmith Brewery and Billiards in Fort Collins' Old Town district said that police are interviewing workers about their activities and about customers who ate there on the night before the most recent attack on Aug. 23. The attacker fled the victim's apartment complex in light-colored blue car. Near where it had been parked, police found a to-go container that included remnants of a salad. "The salad had pumpkin seeds in it and they called around to see which restaurants serve pumpkin seeds on their salads," Coopersmith bartender Ken Janisch said Tuesday. Coopersmith's salads are served with pumpkin seeds, he said. "I guess they're just following up on every lead. Everybody's talking about it here," Janisch said. Male employees are being called in for interviews and then possibly photographed and fingerprinted, Janisch said. Davis declined to comment. "We're interviewing at multiple businesses," she said. "I'm not going to talk about that." It is one of several leads police are following as they investigate six sexual assaults near Colorado State University since May. Police believe the latest attack was linked to five others. All six attacks targeted women in their 20s in apartments. Police say the assailant entered through unlocked doors and windows, blindfolded the women and forced them to perform a sexual act. There was one attack in May, two in June, one in July and one Aug. 5. In addition to the salad, Fort Collins police are investigating reports that a man in a light blue 1980s car was seen in a church parking lot near the area of the last attack. The driver had been spotted off and on at the church for about three weeks before the Aug. 23 assault, but hasn't been seen since, tipsters told police. A witness reported hearing a scream from the victims' apartment in the most recent attack, and then saw a blue four-door car flee the area. Anyone with information about the sexual assault cases is asked to call Fort Collins police Detective Kim Cochran at (970) 224-6090. Previous Stories:

• August 27, 2001: Fort Collins Sex Assault Investigation Yields Tips
• August 10, 2001: Police Warn Residents About Sex Assault Suspect
• August 8, 2001: With Rash Of Sexual Attacks, CSU Beefs Up Security
• August 8, 2001: Serial Rapist May Be Prowling Fort Collins
• August 5, 2001: Possible Serial Sex Assault Suspect Strikes Again In Fort Collins
• July 27, 2001: Another Sex Assault Reported In Fort Collins
• July 12, 2001: Hockey Stick Sends Intruder Fleeing
• June 25, 2001: Fort Collins Sex Assaults Investigated