ALEXANDRIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Public Information Office
2003 Mill Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
(703) 838-4636
MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 15, 2002
Alexandria Police Investigate Attempted Abduction,
Detectives Seek Identity of Potential Witnesses
At approximately 10:30 p.m., on Tuesday, February 12, Alexandria police responded to the 300 block of East Braddock Road to investigate an attempted abduction. At approximately 10:15 p.m., the victim, a 27-year-old Fairfax County woman, was walking to the Braddock Road Metro Station when an unknown suspect approached her from behind. He grabbed her and pulled her to the ground on the north side of the 300 block of East Braddock Road, just east of Ramsey Street.
She struggled with the suspect and yelled. She was able to break free, and she ran to the 7-Eleven one block away for help. Police responded to the area but could not locate the attacker. The victim was not injured.
Detectives are investigating the possibility that this may have been an attempted sexual assault. They are also trying to locate three people who may have seen the suspect before the attack. As the victim was walking east in the 200 and 300 blocks of East Braddock Road, she passed three people who were walking west, on the north side of the road. Since the suspect approached her from behind, it is possible that these three people may have seen and passed the suspect.
Police would like to speak with these potential witnesses. Two of them, a white female and a white male, were walking together, and a third male of unknown race, was walking alone, approximately one-half block behind the first two. All three were dressed in business attire. The victim is white with long brown hair, and she was wearing a black overcoat and carrying a purse and a briefcase.
The suspect is described as an Hispanic male, 5-feet 5-inches to 5-feet 7-inches tall, and wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt.
Police have increased patrols in the community following this incident. In the past year, two other women have been the victims of violent crimes in this area. Neither of those cases, both robberies, was related, and police closed both cases with arrests.
The passers-by and anyone else with information about this attack are asked to call the Criminal Investigations Section at (703) 838-4711.
Note: The PIO will be available for interviews this afternoon after 1 p.m. in the 300 block of East Braddock Road.
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