Police say the attacks against female University students have escalated to a more dangerous level, but authorities may be closer to finding a suspect.
Another female student was attacked Friday near the Willie Knickerbocker Bike Bridge in Alton Baker Park, now the fifth attack since February. All of the attacks have involved either a female University student or a female of similar age.
Sgt. Scott McKee of the Eugene Police Department said Friday’s attack was similar to the other attacks, but differs significantly because the assailant was carrying a knife and attacked the student around 5 p.m., while the other attacks occurred well after dark.
“It concerns me that if this is in fact the same person who has been attacking women, the nature and conduct of the attacks is escalating in danger,” said McKee, who is also the supervisor for the Violent Crimes Unit.
Another significant difference was that the victim was able to see her attacker’s face, and McKee said the victim identified her attacker as looking very similar to the composite drawing released April 5 by the EPD.
The attack itself was also similar in nature to the previous attacks in that the victim was grabbed from behind and the attacker fled when the victims fought back.
But the added threat of a knife and the early hour during which the attack took place make the incident more severe than the previous attacks, McKee said, and added the attacker also reportedly made casual conversation with the victim before attacking her.
During the conversation, McKee said the victim noticed the man was playing with a knife. After the victim walked past the attacker, the man stalked behind her trying to further engage her in conversation, McKee said.
“The attacker eventually threw down the knife, almost as a gesture that he wasn’t going to hurt her,” McKee said. “Then he grabbed her around the neck and tried to pull her to the ground.”
The woman was able to pull away from her attacker and run to a near-by jogger for help. The attacker left the scene, making sure to take the knife with him, McKee said.
Department of Public Safety Director Tom Fitzpatrick said the victim called DPS first, but since the attack happened off campus, the case was turned over to EPD detectives.
“We did make sure the Office of Student Life was aware of the situation and could offer support services to the student,” Fitzpatrick said.
Lara Modisette, sexual assault prevention and education coordinator for the ASUO Women’s Center, said the important thing for assault victims to remember is to trust their instincts, fight back, and remember that whatever happens is not their fault.
“Women obviously need to take precautions when walking alone, because rape is a reality of our society,” Modisette said. “But we can’t be forced not to live our lives, and our society needs to focus on holding the perpetrators accountable and not blaming the victims.”
McKee said it’s particularly important to pay attention to the conduct of the people around you and watch out for foul intentions.
“If a person has a weapon out, it should be a red flag no matter what,” McKee said, “regardless of how un-threatening their gestures are.”
McKee agreed that victims should not feel guilty for an attack against them, and there are certain things victims can do to increase their chances of surviving an attack.
“If you sense someone is going to grab you and you think they can control you once they’ve grabbed you, follow your instincts and do everything to separate yourself from them,” McKee said. “If they get you alone, your chances of surviving drastically diminish.”
McKee warns that the attacker is apparently targeting women of the same age group — late teens, early twenties — and is attacking lone females.
“Both the areas he’s attacking in — Pioneer Cemetery and the bike paths in Alton Baker Park — and the time of day he’s making the attacks offers the opportunity for more encounters,” McKee said.
McKee said EPD will continue to follow-up on the leads they have regarding the attacks, and anyone with information about the attacks can leave an anonymous tip on the investigators’ tip line at 682-8888.