Vista, CA–Sheriff’s deputies are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a man suspected of attacking a woman while out for a walk in Vista.
The incident occurred on Wednesday just before noon on a trail at Buena Vista Park in the 1800 block of South Melrose Drive.
The victim told Sheriff’s detectives she was walking her dogs when a man attacked her as she passed him by on the trail. She says the suspect grabbed her and tried to pull her into the bushes. The victim says they both fell to the ground. That’s when she says he got away. The victim had light scratches to her legs from the fall.
Sheriff’s deputies, as well as Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter, began searching the area for the suspect, but he was not found. The investigation is ongoing.
The victim describes the suspect as a Hispanic man in his 20s, standing around five feet, five inches tall with a medium build and brown hair that was protruding from the bottom of a black baseball hat. He was wearing a maroon hooded sweatshirt with a white Rancho Buena Vista High School logo on the front, navy blue shorts, and Nike running shoes.
If you have any information on this incident, call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200. You can also call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. You may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
