WASHINGTON — Arlington County Police are investigating a concerning trend: In the last month, six women have been assaulted and detectives are looking into whether the cases are linked.
Last Friday, a 27-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter were walking in Arlington’s Lubber Run Park before sunset. As it was getting darker, Arlington County Police Spokesman Dustin Sternbeck says she decided to turn around and head back toward George Mason Drive when she saw a man coming toward them.
“She feels uneasy about it, as he’s approaching her, he appears intoxicated. And as he gets closer, she wants to shield her 3-year-old from him,” Sternbeck says.
That’s when she told police the man grabbed her from behind. He ran when she screamed for help.
She is the sixth victim of a sexual assault in Arlington in the last month. The others occurred on July 25, July 31, Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 13.
“There is a reason to be concerned about these last string of assaults in the last month. That’s highly unusual for Arlington,” Sternbeck says.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s, approximately 5-foot, 7-inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a solid gray T-shirt, black shorts and black tennis shoes at the time of the incident around 8 p.m. Friday.
Sternbeck says detectives are working with the victims to create composite sketches, and are exploring the possibility the attacks were committed by the same person.
