Nathan Hager, wtop.com
GAITHERSBURG, Md. – Young women in a usually quiet neighborhood may be keeping an extra eye out after word that a sexual assault happened in broad daylight in some nearby woods.
Montgomery County police say a 21-year-old woman was attacked by a man with a knife in broad daylight Monday, inside the Green Farm Conservation Park in Gaithersburg.
Officers say they responded to a lake inside the park, not far from the Hadley Farms Community Pool, at about 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Neighbors who use that pool are expressing shock and concern.
“I’ve lived here over ten years, and there’s never been any incidents or crime in the area, so it’s pretty frightening,” said one young woman who jogs in the park occassionally.
She says incidents like this don’t make her second-guess the safety of the neighborhood, but she will be on her guard.
“I wouldn’t do anything alone, as a single female,” she says. “If you stay in pairs, you know, safety in numbers is the best thing.”
Police say the suspect ran off in the direction of Brenish Drive after the alleged assault.
The suspect is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 7 inches tall and between 130 and 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black knit cap and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Homicide/Sex Section at 240-773-5070, or to leave anonymous tips through Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS. Anonymous tipsters can also text “MCPD” plus the tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Crime Solvers offers a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
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