Bellingham Police are looking for a man who attacked a young woman who was running on the Lake Padden trail system on Saturday, June 22.
The woman was running on the southeast side of Lake Padden on Saturday, and when she passed the man, he knocked her to the ground and punched her in the face multiple times, said Bellingham Police Public Information Officer Megan Peters in an email.
Two people heard the victim screaming and the attacker fled. The woman was transported to the hospital for her injuries. Peters told Cascadia Daily News in an email she was unable to comment on the victim’s injuries.
The event happened during the Lake Padden Triathlon, but the woman was not participating in the event, Peters said.
Police are seeking the community’s help in locating the suspect, who was last seen running down a hill near milepost 1 ¾ of the trail toward Interstate 5, according to Peters. The alleged assailant is an “average-to-fit” white man in his 30s, about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 with a “distinct receding hairline,” according to witnesses and the victim’s description, Peters said.
After the attack, police K9 teams searched the area focusing on the horse trails west of Lake Padden and north to the intersection of 33rd and Broad Street, Peters said, but the suspect was not located.
“The victim was randomly attacked in a location that should have been safe for her to enjoy a summer day jog,” Peters said in the statement. “When enjoying the outdoors, consider doing so with at least one other person or be in an area that is well-used by other outdoor enthusiasts. Even if people are by themselves, they are not responsible for someone else’s criminal actions.”
When asked if police consider the area safe for recreation, Peters said in an email response, “This incident is out of the ordinary for the area.” She also said she had not found any other reports of recent assaults occurring outdoors that include the Lake Padden trail system.
Bellingham residents Karen and Neal Trevorrow walk around Lake Padden frequently, and said they rarely see anything unusual. There are occasional issues with break-ins, but Neal Trevorrow said on Monday they feel comfortable at Padden. The recent assault likely won’t change their behavior, he said.
An investigation is ongoing, and police have probable cause to arrest the suspect for assault in the second degree, Peters said.
Police are encouraging people with information on the assault or those who witnessed the suspect fleeing the area to call them at 360-778-8611 or provide tips online at www.cob.org/tips, referencing case number 24B35293.
Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.
