MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — Police have arrested the man they say tried to attack a woman walking on a Marlborough trail Monday morning. That man has been identified as 35-year-old Jonathan Parker.
It happened at the Assabet River Rail Trail behind a fence hundreds of feet from where any traffic is. Police said the only good part of the story is how strong and smart the woman was, since most victims of an attack don’t think to shoot video of their attacker after the attack.
“She actually did have ear buds in at a time, not certain if it was one or two but she was able to at least hear a noise, which raised a red flag, but before she knew what she was [happening, she was] getting grabbed from behind,” said MPD Sgt. Zac Attaway.
Police said the woman was walking on the trail near the intersection of Fitchburg Street and Sasseville Way around 6:20 a.m. Monday when a man came up behind her. He allegedly grabbed her around the neck and pushed her onto the ground. The woman screamed and fought the suspect off as he tried to pull off her clothing. She was able to break free and the suspect started running the opposite direction toward the Fitchburg Street intersection.
The victim was able to take out her cellphone and record the suspect as he ran from the scene.
The man was described as a white man, between 30-40 years old with brown hair, blue eyes and a facial piercing. He was wearing loose-fitting brown cargo shorts and a blue flannel shirt.
The woman suffered minor injuries to her mouth and leg because when she tried to fight back, she said, he hit her in the face a couple of times.
“It kind of makes you want to be cautious, especially as a woman coming alone,” said Kaebron Aschalew of Marlborough. “It makes me want to carry self-defense.”
“I’m not very surprised, to be honest, it was actually my first thought as I park, I grabbed my keys,” said Gabriella Grilla of Worcester. “As a woman who runs, I always check my shoulders and I make eye contact with the people coming at me.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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