New details revealed about Augusta Canal trail attempted rape – WRDW-TV

Friday, July 26, 2019

Deputies say a woman was attacked while jogging on the Augusta Canal Trail yesterday afternoon. The suspect is still on the loose. (Source: WRDW/WAGT)

AUGUSTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) — We’re receiving new details on an attempted rape at the Augusta Canal Trail.

According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the 23-year-old victim was running on the trail when the suspect, a black male, hit her from behind. The report indicates both the victim and the suspect fell to the ground.

It was at that point, the report said, the suspect told the victim that she needed to move because of other bikers and runners on the trail.

The report says the victim asked the suspect to give her a minute to recover, but the suspect came up behind her, pulled her up, and dragged her to the side of the road.

“Are you going to give me something?” the suspect reportedly told the victim. She reportedly told the man “no” several times.

The victim reportedly tried to escape the suspect, but he would not let go of her wrists and threatened to “snap” her neck.

The report says the victim then tried to make a phone call for help, but the suspect grabbed the phone from her hand. It was at that point, the report says, the victim began hitting the suspect several times before she managed to escape.

The suspect attempted to chase the victim, the report says, around a rock in the woods. The victim says she also saw the suspect had her cell phone, and she was able to take it back from him before escaping him again.

At that point, according to the report, the victim found a witness who helped chase the suspect away.

That witness was also interviewed and told deputies he came upon the scene while he was running and found the victim was “hysterical.”

The victim reportedly told the witness that she had been attacked by a male in the woods. The report says the witness saw a man with a bicycle attempting to leave the scene and he called out for him.

However, according to the report, the man sped off on his bicycle and did not stop. The witness, the report says, then spent an hour looking for the suspect but was unsuccessful.

That witness also managed to locate a deputy at a nearby pump house and told the deputy about everything he knew.

The suspect in this case is described as a “black male, 5’09” to 5’10” in height, 180 to 200 pounds, 40 to 50 years of age, short curly black beard, and short black hair. The subject was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, and a blue hat riding a dark in color mountain bicycle.”

The sheriff’s office is also refuting criticism that they waited too long to reveal information about the case.

They released a statement Thursday night defending their actions.

“During this process, our investigators and deputies are gathering information to give the most account of where the crime took place, the times, and subject description,” the statement said. “This process can cause delays before being sent to the media because we want the public to know the exact locations and subject descriptions so they are more aware of what to look for and who to contact if they are near this area.”