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2:20 a.m. • 2-10-12

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Woman reports sexual assault in Wake County park


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Yates Mill Park
Woman reports sexual assault in Wake County park

A woman reported that two men attempted to sexually assault her on a walking trail in Yates Mill Park Monday afternoon, park officials said.

Two men attacked the woman around 2:45 p.m. in the park, off Lake Wheeler Road, in southwestern Wake County, Park Manager Rebeca Cope said. The victim told investigators that her assailants ran off when they heard a noise, Cope said.

The park was closed for about 1½ hours while sheriff's deputies and a police dog searched it and nearby neighborhoods for the assailants, Cope said. They made no arrests.

Phillip Powell said he was fishing in the park and saw the victim, who appeared to be in her 30s, taken away in an ambulance.

"She was pretty shocked, devastated," Powell said. "I hope she will be OK."

Sheriff's officials said the victim was recovering after being checked out a local hospital.

The Wake County Sheriff's Office has not released information about the incident. Officials would not say how many people were involved or release a description of the suspect or suspects.

Visitors said they were surprised to hear about the attempted assault in the park, with its miles of wooded walking trails and a historic mill.

"That's very shocking, actually, for this area," park visitor Amy Rager said. "I've been out here several times, and it's always been quiet and peaceful."

Rager said she turned around after park officials warned her that a woman had been attacked a couple hours earlier on the trail where she was walking with her 5-year-old son.

Cope said that park workers will conduct extra patrols on the trails, and the sheriff's office will deploy more deputies in the park as well.

"It makes it bad for everybody, because most people come out, exercise and jog, stuff like that," Powell said. "And it's just bad for everybody that comes out."

RELATED TOPICS: Wake County, Lake Wheeler

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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/1271782.html

Surprise Surprise seems there was no assault after all. That part of raleigh is the safest around.

"Officials would not say how many people were involved or release a description of the suspect or suspects."

WHY NOT!?!

Those of us who live nearby NEED to know.

Or are the authorities waiting for more to be accosted by these pervs?

God bless.

Rev. RB

Why is everyone making it sound like it's the victim's fault??? It was not the lady's fault. A woman, or anyone for that matter, should be able to jog on a public park trail in the middle of the afternoon without having to be overly concerned about her safety. It was not HER fault!!! If blame needs to be placed let's put it where it needs to be. How about the two perpretrators of the attempted attack??? Remove them from the equation and our jogger would have had an uneventful afternoon of exercise.

Good evening folks....how come WCSD will not release a description of the attackers?

Vote carefully this election... or our rights to self protection will be endangered further.

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