Woman Sexually Assaulted on Md. Trail

The Takoma Park community is on the alert and police are looking for a suspect in the sexual assault of a woman that took place Thursday on the Sligo Creek Stream Valley Trail.

It happened around dusk on Thursday not far from the Carroll Avenue Bridge. The trail is popular, but not well-lit.

The Sligo Creek Trail is inside a beautiful park, and it is well-used by joggers, bikers and walkers, who were all stunned to hear someone was sexually assaulted there

"It's terrible," said Ariela Summit, a jogger. "It feels like a real community trail. There's a lot of other people that run on it. Kids that play in the playground. So that sucks."

At maple avenue, the trail runs along side Adventist Hospital. Pam Wolfe uses the trail to take her hospital therapy dog to visit patients. She's shocked, too.

"I walk with my dog, so people pretty much leave me alone, but I walk by myself a lot and I feel pretty safe," Wolfe said.

But police say around dusk on Thursday, a woman walking on the trail was accosted from behind by a man with a knife who pulled her into a wooded area and sexually assaulted her. They believe the suspect knows the area very well.

"He went through the woods in an area you'd have to know the woods," said Chief Ronald Ricucci of the Takoma Park Police Department. "There's man-made paths. You'd have to know it, because he was running last night, it was obviously dark and rainy."

"We're going to increase our presence in the area, both with patrols, bicycle and horse-mounted patrols," said Chief Darien Manley of the Maryland National Capital Park Police. We have officers out today. There'll be additional ones this evening."

Police have a description of the suspect. They say he is a Hispanic male between 25 and 35 years of age. They say he is between 5'7" and 5'9" tall with a medium build and short, military-style black hair. He was wearing a heavy, long-sleeved beige shirt and loose fitting pants.

If you know this man or anything about the crime, police want to hear from you.