Police: Sexual assault followed pre-arranged encounter
LOWER PROVIDENCE » After a week spent investigating a report that a woman was forced into a car, driven to a remote location and sexually assaulted, detectives now believe the assault followed a pre-arranged meeting between the victim and her attacker, police said.
The initial report from Lower Providence Township Police stated the victim was taking a walk about 11;30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, when she was approached by a vehicle in the 2700 block of Lantern Lane in the Audubon section of the township.
The vehicle stopped near her, and the driver and only occupant exited the car. He grabbed the victim, forced her into the vehicle, drove her to a secluded area on General Armistead Avenue in West Norriton and sexually assaulted her, police said.
Lower Providence and West Norriton police worked on the case throughout the week, and after completing several interviews, detectives are certain the alleged assault was not a random act, but resulted from a pre-arranged meeting between the victim and the suspect, police said.
Detectives continue to hope they will identify a suspect, but several people who have been interviewed about the case have been reluctant to cooperate fully, police said.
Investigators will also continue to recover video surveillance evidence, electronic data evidence and trace evidence, police said. Local police have been assisted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau with those evidence recovery efforts.