FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- The Fayetteville Police Department is looking for a white man in his thirties, who may have assaulted a woman on the Lake Fayetteville trail Sunday (Sept. 13).
Another woman told 5NEWS Monday that she too may have almost been assaulted by the same man had she not scared him away. Jamie Rogers said she was running alone at Lake Fayetteville Saturday morning when she heard someone come up behind her.
"Something was not right," Rogers said. "I turned around, and he got scared and ran in the other direction."
Rogers said she noticed the man was not wearing workout clothes.
“I had a bad feeling he was out there to prey on women,” she said.
Then on Sunday night, Rogers heard a woman was assaulted on the same trail. She said the attacker's description was similar to the man she had seen come up behind her.
Fayetteville Sgt. Craig Stout said the suspect dragged the woman off the trail and into the woods in broad daylight.
“He attempted to take her phone, but she was able to break free,” Stout said.
Other trail users said they felt safe on the Lake Fayetteville trail during the day since they see police patrolling the area. Stout said the police patrols will continue from here on out.
"We are actually out there on the trails quite often," he said. "We have officers who will utilize our utility vehicle to patrol our trails and some even ride motorcycles."
In the meantime, both police and local runners said trail users should avoid going out alone and consider carrying pepper spray if they do.
Police said Sunday’s assault happened near mile marker three, near the Fayetteville Botanical Gardens. If you have any information on the attack, or the suspect, call Fayetteville Police.