Police are looking for a man suspected of abducting, and in one case sexually assaulting, five women in Reston during a period of less than two weeks.
The incidents have police stepping up patrols in the northwest Fairfax County community and urging women not to travel alone. In each case, a suspect approached a lone woman during the night and tried to make her come with him at knife-point.
The only sexual assault took place on Sept. 19 around North Shore Drive and Fairway Drive, when the suspect forced the victim to a nearby woods and assaulted her before she screamed and fled, according to the Police Department.
Abductions or attempted abductions also took place Wednesday and Tuesday, and twice on Sept. 14. Those victims were eventually able to avoid the attacker.
“Nobody has sustained injuries requiring medical treatment,” said police spokeswoman Shelley Broderick. “However, the mental injuries that these women suffered, those are significant.”
Getting a clear description of the suspect has been complicated because the areas are badly lit and the victims are focused on getting away, Broderick said, and police have not yet drawn a composite sketch.
The crimes have sparked alarm from Reston’s residents, according to Reston Citizens Association President Mike Corrigan, who said poor lighting on the area’s pathways has become an increasing concern in recent years.
The man is believed to be a dark-skinned Hispanic, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. Police are asking anyone with information about the incidents or the suspect to call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS or 703-691-2131.
