Police: Man threatened woman, 10-month-old grandson

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Police said a man terrorized women at a Gastonia apartment complex, allegedly breaking into their homes -- then trying to sexually assault them.
 
One woman said the attack happened right in front of her 10-month-old grandson.
 
George McDowell's convictions since 2000 are for breaking and entering and larceny.  He went to court hours ago accused of breaking into two different women's homes Monday looking for sex.
 
One of the women doesn't want her face shown.
  
She said she will never forget the look on George McDowell's face as he tried to sexually assault while she was holding her 10-month-old grandchild.
 
"It makes me so angry," she said.
 
She said she sat on the porch of her home off of Lyons babysitting her grandson.
 
McDowell walked up and asked to use her phone, according to police.
 
"He seemed like somebody passing by and needed help," she said.
 
Then she said he asked where her boyfriend was and why she was home alone.
 
He asked for water.
 
She grabbed her grandson and went inside, expecting the man to stay on the porch.
 
She didn't hear him walk into her home.  
"He was trying to grope on me.  He was trying to pull my pants down.  I had my grandson on my side," she said.
 
She yelled at him and she said he made a chilling statement.
 
"He looked me right in my eye with my grandson on my side and said 'What would you do right now ma'am if I put a gun to your head?'" she said.
 
She quickly replied, "You are going to have to kill me."
 
She didn't see a gun, but she assumed he had one.
 
"I was ready for him to shoot me," she said.
  
She said  McDowell eventually left. Police said he broke into another woman's apartment.
 
She woke to find him standing over her bed asking for sex, according to police.
 
She told him to leave and he did.
 
By then, police were searching for him.
 
McDowell ran to a man's home and said people were chasing him, according to police.
 
The man called 911.
 
You could hear McDowell in the background trying to talk while out of breath

A judge set McDowell's bond at $75,000.

WSOC