News of the alleged assault caused a scare among residents of the area near Baird, not far from Farnham Park, which has been the scene of several assaults since mid-January.
Camden police and officers from the county Sheriff's Office and state police canvassed streets, talking to residents.
"It's disheartening," said Stephanie Dixon, who lives a block away from Wednesday's reported sexual assault. "It makes you feel violated."
She said the sexual assaults were unlike targeted crimes such as drug-related killings that plague the city.
"You're talking about random acts of violence," said Dixon.
She said her 9-year-old daughter heard about Wednesday's alleged incident from her school-bus driver.
Authorities said the previous attacks occurred between 3 and 5:30 a.m. Jan. 17 and 22 and Feb. 11 around Farnham Park and Baird Boulevard, less than a mile from the location of Wednesday's reported assault. Authorities said a report of a sexual assault in December had turned out to be unfounded.
Two of the previous victims were adolescents, and the third was in her 20s, authorities said.
Some residents said they were upset that they had not been notified promptly of the earlier sexual assaults.
Tyra Walls, 23, a secretary at the nearby Boys and Girls Club of Camden County, on Park Boulevard by Farnham Park, said she learned last week about the earlier assaults through an e-mail from a coworker telling her to be on the lookout.
"Had we known ahead of time, the parents of the community could have been more preventative or could have helped catch the person, or be on the lookout," said Walls. "Because it was so late, more children were put at risk."
Authorities sent out a news release Feb. 13 on the series of assaults, and Camden Police Chief Scott Thomson also reported them the same day to a community meeting.
In an interview Wednesday, Thomson said: "When we were in a position to make a public notification, we did."
He added: "These are sensitive, ongoing investigations, and I'm very limited in my ability to respond."
Last week, authorities issued a sketch of the suspect in the previous assaults. He has been described as a black man between 20 and 30 and about 5-foot-7 to 6 feet tall. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and has distinctly light-brown eyes, authorities said.
Camden police urged those with any information that would help solve the crimes to call them at 856-757-7042.
Contact staff writer Darran Simon at 856-779-3829, dsimon@phillynews.com,
or @darransimon on Twitter.
