Woman sexually assaulted at Ballston Common Mall garage

Darci Marchese, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Arlington County Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman in a mall parking garage Wednesday.

The attack follows a sexual attack of a female jogger in Arlington on the Four Mile Run bike trail Tuesday around 8 p.m.. Police say a 23-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at knifepoint.

Dustin Sternbeck, Arlington County Police spokesman, says they are not linking the crimes but says women need to be aware of their surroundings.

In the most recent incident, a 23-year-old woman was walking to her car on the fourth level of the parking garage around 2:30 p.m. at Ballston Common Mall, when a man approached her from behind.

Sternbeck says the man lifted her skirt up and assaulted her with his hands.

Sternbeck says she screamed and the suspect ran off, toward a northeast stairwell.

The suspect is described as a black man, between the ages of 17 and 25, he’s about 6-feet tall, weighing 150 pounds. Sternbeck says he was wearing dark, baggy pants, a light colored T-shirt and a dark, black knit hat.

The woman did not seek medical treatment and waited a bit before calling police.

Sternbeck urges anyone who’s a victim of a crime to call police immediately and to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

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