Stranger Tries To Grab Woman By Throat In Downtown Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Grabbed from behind, one woman was the target of an attack on the streets of downtown Sacramento.
The victim says a stranger attacked her Wednesday night.
"I literally just walked out of my residence and got attacked," Crystal Todd said.
When Crystal left her downtown loft, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about the man walking toward her.
"As he walked past, he grabbed me, tried to grab me by my throat," she said. "I literally ducked because I was afraid and I ran into the Pete's Pizza."
Crystal works in a psychiatric ward. She credits her career for stopping a terrifying situation from taking a tragic turn.
"I think about my training and what could have happened, if he would have grabbed my throat. He could throw me against the wall and who knows what could have happened," she said.
The owner of Pete's walked a shaken Crystal back home. He says it's not the first time his restaurant has doubled as an escape route.
"It happens a lot. A lot of customers run in here and say, you know, 'So and so tried to chase us down' or 'grabbed my hand,'" he said. "That happens a lot."
Women in the area say they've become much more cautious.
"A lot of riff raff out here now," one woman said.
"I'm much more aware when I walk at night," another woman said. "I keep my cell phone out, I don't know why it makes me feel safer."
So what is the Sacramento Police Department doing to prevent crime in the downtown corridor? The department says it's increasing its presence.
It's a change Crystal hopes will bring some peace of mind.
"I work from home, I come down and have lunch," she said. "Now I'm just afraid to leave my building because I don't know what could happen."
In a police report, Crystal describes the suspect as a white man in his late 20s who stands 5-foot-10. He was wearing a black hoodie, pants and white sneakers.