Woman sexually assaulted while on a jog, York County deputies say
A woman was sexually assaulted Monday while she was on a jog, according to a report from the York County Sheriff’s Office.
They said it happened early Monday morning in Fort Mill near North Sutton Road and Mill Lane. The woman heard someone behind her while she was running and moved over to let them pass, thinking it was another jogger.
Deputies said when she looked behind her, a man tackled her and then started grabbing her inappropriately. She started fighting him off, but the attacker ran off when a car drove past, the report says. He ran back down North Sutton Road toward Lower Assembly Drive and into the woods, investigators said.
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Deputies were able to pick up the suspect’s track with a K-9 but couldn’t find him.
The attacker was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and was wearing a mask, dark clothing and a gray hat, investigators said.
‘Sad... just to know that it happened’
Deputies were patrolling the area Tuesday. Both law enforcement and neighbors told Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz that the incident is not something you’d expect in that neighborhood.
You can often find Kat Doman and her two young sons playing outside and riding bikes and scooters down the quiet streets in their Baxter Village neighborhood. It’s one of the things they love about the house they moved into six months ago.
“It’s the best family neighborhood -- parks, pools, and just very family-friendly,” she said.
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That’s why Doman was alarmed to hear about the woman who was attacked just a few streets away.
“I feel sad deep down just to know that it happened,” Doman said. “It puts an alarm for a lot of moms.”
York County deputies said the victim showed them the head lamp she was wearing. That’s what they used to give the K-9 a scent to track.
“We hope this is an isolated incident, but we are going to work diligently to find out who did this,” said Trent Faris, who is with the sheriff’s office. “Attacking somebody who’s just wanting to go for morning run.”
York County deputies are asking any neighbors who might have home security cameras to contact the York County Sheriff’s Office.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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