3rd runner attacked on or near Austin trails

Suspects in two of the recent attacks on women remain free.

Austin police are investigating the third reported attack since late August on women who were running on or near popular hikeand-bike trails close to downtown.

Interim Police Chief Brian Manley said the latest attack happened Wednesday morning near the 1700 block of South Lakeshore Drive.

Manley said an attacker grabbed a woman from behind and tried to pull her into some bushes as she ran alone on the trail around 6:40 a.m.

The woman described the attacker as a man in his 40s, about 5 feet, 11 inches tall and with no facial hair. She told police that he had short dark hair and spoke to her in Spanish.

The attack comes fewer than two weeks after another woman was assaulted on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail near Rainey Street on Sept. 15.

Police said the woman in the Sept. 15 attack was running about 5:30 a.m. when a man, later identified as 22-year-old Richard McEachern, grabbed her

from behind in a “bear hug” and took her to the ground.

The victim fought McEachern, who ripped her shoes and shorts from her body, until other runners happened upon them and stopped the assault, police said.

Police flooded the area in search of a suspect and arrested McEachern a few days later.

An earlier attack happened at the Austin High School track on Aug. 22. Police said the attack played out the same way — a man grabbed a woman from behind as she jogged around the track.

The woman fought the man and was able to run away to call police, but not before she saw her attacker hop into a green or dark blue car with white stripes on the passenger’s side.

The victim in that case told police the man was in his mid-40s with no facial or body hair and tan skin. He had unkempt, medium-length hair and was roughly 6-foot-2.

Neither he nor the attacker in Wednesday’s incident have been identified or apprehended, police said.

In response to the recent attacks, Austin police will begin sending night-shift officers on foot, bike and mounted patrols to the trail system beginning about 4 a.m. to clear the trails and identify any suspicious activity in the area around Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Park.

Austin police is also launching its Run/Walk with APD Cops campaign, which will allow runners and hikers to hit the trails with officers on certain dates, the first of which was scheduled for Thursday morning.

”Many officers, as you could imagine, are avid runners and enjoy being outdoors, so we are looking at ways we can involve other officers in having a presence on the trail, and again increasing the safety as we work through these incidents,” Manley said.

Police will meet at 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. Thursday at the Rock on Town Lake under the MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) bridge in the 2100 block of Stephen F. Austin Drive, and lead runners through a 3- or 4-mile running loop, or a 2-mile walk at different speeds.

Manley urged runners, both male and female, to use caution and be aware of their surroundings, especially in the early morning hours when it’s still dark outside.

Manley said runners should try to run in groups if possible, keep music at a low enough level that they could hear someone approach, and to always have a plan in mind that includes actions they can take to remain safe.

Officer Rafael Rosales, a member of the department’s SWAT team who will attend the first run/walk event Thursday, said he and others are planning a second event for Oct. 2.

”The idea is just to provide a safe environment for everybody on our hike-andbike trail,” Rosales said.