Mpls. Police: Target Of Attempted Sexual Assault Fights Off Attacker
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A routine walk to the bus on a bitter cold morning turned into a heroic fight for one University of Minnesota student.
"This was a person who wasn't willing to just be a victim, who wasn't willing to just shut up and go along with it," said Minneapolis Police spokesperson John Elder.
The woman was walking to the bus at about 6 a.m. Friday when she was grabbed by a man near the 600 block of 8th Street Southeast in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. He tried to pull her into nearby bushes while groping her. She was able to scream, fight and ultimately get away.
The woman was not able to get a good look at her attacker, bu told police he is about 5-feet-9 inches tall, was wearing all black and smelled of cigarettes.
Located on the edge of Dinkytown, the neighborhood is popular with students.
"That's a heavily-patrolled area. It's frustrating to do all the steps and take all the measures that you take and have this happen," Elder said.
Isral Wilensky works at the 8th Street Market neraby, and is troubled by the crime.
"He was looking for a time when he thought that nobody would be around to witness him or stop him from doing what he intended on doing," Wilensky said.
He says the street's bus stop was recently moved one block down, away from the store's security cameras. He thinks it may have played a part in the incident.
"If the bus stop still would've been located on this corner, I believe that it might have deterred him," he said.
In light of this attack, police will increase their patrols in the neighborhood. Officers also spent the day going door to door in the area to let residents know about what happened.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call Minneapolis Police.
