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JUST IN: Woman groped, pulled to ground in Lyon Park

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A woman was groped, followed and pulled to the ground by an unknown suspect in the Lyon Park area, police say.

The incident happened last night (Wednesday) around 5:30 p.m.

The suspect initially grabbed the victim’s buttocks as she was walking along the Arlington Blvd trail at 10th Street N., not far from Courthouse, according to Arlington County police.

He then re-approached on the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive and pulled her to the ground by the shoulders, but ran off when she screamed, police said.

From an ACPD crime report today:

SEXUAL BATTERY (Late), 2022-12070193, Arlington Boulevard trail at 10th Street N. exit ramp. At approximately 7:32 p.m. on December 7, police were dispatched to the late report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined approximately two hours prior, the victim was waiting at a crosswalk when the unknown male suspect approached her from behind and touched her buttocks before fleeing the area on foot. The victim continued traveling and was in the 2500 block of N. Pershing Drive when the suspect reapproached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, causing her to fall to the ground. The victim yelled and the suspect fled the area on foot. The victim sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention. Responding officers canvassed the area for the suspect yielding negative results. The suspect is described as a Black male, approximately 20-30 years old, 5’8-5’10, medium build, wearing a black hoodie and black pants. The investigation is ongoing.

The suspect description is a bit different than that of a man who groped a woman in Courthouse last week, though the victim in that case wrote that she “didn’t get a good look at the guy.” Both suspects were reported to have been wearing a black hoodie and black pants, according to police.

“Both incidents remain under investigation and detectives will work to determine if they are linked,” said ACPD spokeswoman Ashley Savage.