A downtown resident was able to escape into a nearby taxi after being grabbed by a male suspect who had been following her early Sunday morning.
Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the victim reported she saw the suspect watching her on the 100 block of East Mifflin street. The victim was approached when she was on the corner of East Dayton street and North Pinckney street, he said.
“She had a creepy feeling he was looking at her so she walked faster,” DeSpain said. “She said she continued to pick up her pace until she was almost running.”
A police report said when the suspect caught up to the victim he put one hand over her mouth and told her not to scream while wrapping his other hand around her chest.
DeSpain said after being touched by the suspect, the victim fell to the ground and moved into a “defensive posture.” He said this reaction caught the suspect by surprise, so the victim was able to scream and ran to a cab near the scene and call police.
Although the victim was startled by the incident, DeSpain said it is likely this incident have turned into a robbery or sexual assault had she not gotten away so quickly.
Police to do yet have a suspect in this case.
