A man who became known as the Plastic Bag Attacker when he terrorized women in Arlington two years ago, has never been captured and police are determined to learn his identity.
The man stalked women who walked alone at night from Metro stations. He would walk up to them and try to force a plastic bag over their head, and sometimes would grope them. Police believe he was trying to injure the women and hide his identity.
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At the time, police released a composite sketch and they hope that someone might recognize the man. Police believe the man may still be out there and they want to catch him before he strikes again and escalates his bizarre attacks.
At least five women were attacked over a four-month period in 2007, police said.
In the first incident, the man didn’t use the plastic bag. But his description matched that of a man that women later came forward to say had attacked them with the bag.
A month later, around midnight, a woman walking home heard someone running up behind her and then was startled to find someone trying to put something over her head. The man managed to get the bag partially over her head before she escaped.
The man attacked twice more in similar fashion then altered his tactics. This time he followed a woman to her apartment off of Lee Highway during the day and knocked on her door. When she answered, he lunged at her with the bag. She fought him off and fled.
Police remind women to walk with a group in well-lit areas and, if attacked, draw attention by yelling for help or blowing a whistle.
