Woman Attacked, Injured Along Mountain View Trail; Suspect At Large
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) -- Mountain View police are investigating an assault on Stevens Creek Trail that left a woman seriously injured on Monday evening.
At around 10 p.m. Monday, a woman visiting Mountain View from Massachusetts was walking on the trail near the bridge to Creekside Park when an unknown male approached her from behind, police said.
The man said his name was "Jerry" and tried to converse with the woman, who refused to interact with him. The suspect grabbed the woman and shoved her into bushes several feet off of the trail before punching her repeatedly in the face.
During the attack, two people walking the trail spotted the man and shouted at him. While the suspect was distracted, the woman bit him as he was trying to muffle her screams. The victim was able to escape to the pair who distracted the suspect.
According to witnesses, the suspect walked away south on the trail, under Highway 85. Police quickly responded to the area and conducted an extensive search with patrol teams and a K9 track, but the suspect was not found.
Brian Fisher said he uses the trail everyday to commute to work on his bike, but once the sun goes down, he avoids it. He walks his dog every night near Creekside Park, several yards from where the attack occurred.
"If you go back here behind the park it's quite dark, I don't think there are any lights on the trail," he said.
The trail is heavily wooded, and Fisher said there are many places for someone to hide.
"I'm glad to hear the woman is OK," Fisher said. "It's just sad to hear that, you know, someone was attacked here."
The woman was treated for serious injuries to her face.
Police described the suspect as a black adult man between 20 and 30 years old, roughly 6 feet tall with a slender to medium build. He was last seen with short hair and was described as having a Caribbean accent.
He was last seen wearing a gray Golden State Warriors sweatshirt.
Police are asking for anyone who may know the identity and the whereabouts of the suspect to contact Detective Robert Medina at robert.medina@mountainview.gov. Media inquiries should be sent to PIO Katie Nelson at policepio@mountainview.gov.