Runner fends off sexual assault on popular trail, CA cops say. 16-year-old arrested
A 16-year-old boy was arrested after being accused of trying to sexually assault a runner on a popular trail, California deputies say.
A woman contacted deputies at about 8 p.m. on June 20, saying someone tried to sexually assault her while she was on a run at Joe Rodota Trail, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a June 21 Facebook post.
A male approached her from behind, “grabbed her buttocks, and forced her to the ground, while making statements he was going to sexually assault her,” according to deputies.
The woman was able to fight off the suspect and escape, deputies said, adding that the suspect fled on the trail toward Sebastopol.
After the attempted sexual assault, deputies requested information about the suspect on social media.
Using tips from the public, detectives identified the teenager as a suspect in the attempted sexual assault, and he was arrested, the sheriff’s office said in a June 24 Facebook update.
Joe Rodota Trail, “an 8.5-mile paved, off-road trail linking downtown Santa Rosa and Sebastopol,” runs beside Highway 12 and is “is a popular route for cyclists and pedestrians,” according to Sonoma County Regional Parks.
“Its rural sections offer views of farmland, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and surrounding mountains,” the agency says.
