Austin police are trying to find a man who they say attacked three women in three separate incidents in the span of two hours Friday morning.
Police say the first woman was attacked on South Congress Avenue near Milton Street. The 911 call came in at 5:34 a.m. Police say a man grabbed the female victim from behind. She screamed and fought back. Police say the attacker punched the woman several times. Her injures were severe enough that she had to go to the hospital. A bystander heard heard her cries and ran after the man.
The attacker targeted a second woman at 6:41 a.m. She was jogging near Barton Springs and South 1st Street. Police say he ran behind her and grabbed her. When she turned around, he ran away.
A similar incident happened to a third woman at 7:18 a.m. She was jogging on the pedestrian street bridge near I-35 at the hike and bike trail by Lady Bird Lake. Police say for a third time the attacker ran up behind a woman and grabbed her. Again, when the victim turned around the attacker ran away.
The attacker is described as a black man in his 30s. He weighs about 180 pounds and stands about six feet tall. He has short hair and a goatee. He was last seen wearing a dark shirt and light baggy shorts.
APD is working on a composite sketch of the attacker. APD also has surveillance video of the first attack on South Congress, but had not released it as of Friday evening.
Joggers who run along the hike and bike trail say they are concerned about their safety and the fact the attacker has not been caught.
"I always feel so safe. I don't think twice about it, but now I guess I should," said jogger Kellye McDade.
"I'm used to hiking and biking on trails, but I wouldn't do it in the dark, and I wouldn't do it alone," jogger Andrea Narducci said.
The City of Austin provides five emergency call boxes along the trail for anyone in trouble. KVUE News learned only three of the call boxes actually work. The city says park rangers will repair them.
