An Irving woman was reportedly attacked while walking at a popular DFW park, and police are looking for a suspect who may be connected to other similar incidents at the same park.
The woman was walking at Sam Houston Trail Park in Irving Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. when the attacker approached her from behind and knocked her to the ground, according to police. The victim described the suspect as a male in his late teens or early 20s, between 5’2″ and 5’5″ in height. His hair was in dreadlocks, and he wore jeans and a black t-shirt.
“From my understanding, she was very vocal as she was being attacked, which ultimately scared the suspect off,” said Anthony Alexander, a spokesperson for the Irving Police Department, per NBC 5 DFW.
As word spread in the local community about the attack, others have stepped forward to report similar incidents by a suspect with a similar description, CBS reported.
“Our detectives are in the process of speaking with those individuals to garner any information they can,” Alexander said, per NBC 5.
Irving police are increasing patrols in the area. Parkgoers are urged to stay alert to their surroundings and not use headphones while running or walking along the trails.
Haley Renison, the leader of Oak Cliff Run Crew, told NBC 5 that runners and walkers in the metroplex should always carry their phones with them, avoid poorly lit areas, and share their location with loved ones. She also advised paying attention to your intuition.
“If something feels off, it probably is,” said Renison. “And if you need to cut your run short, just know that your safety is always more important than that run that day.”
Anyone with information about the Sam Houston Trail Park attacks is asked to contact Irving detectives at 972-273-1010.
In nearby Dallas, assaults are the most prevalent category of crime reported, according to the City of Dallas Crime Analytics dashboard. So far this year, 10,148 simple assaults and 3,996 aggravated assaults have been reported.
A chronic shortage of officers has hindered the Dallas Police Department’s crime-fighting efforts. The department currently fields about 1,000 fewer officers than previously recommended by a City analysis.
The DPD is working with a budget of about $654 million this fiscal year, far less than the budgets of other high-crime municipalities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.