Police Ask For Leads In Assault

Days after a 16-year-old girl said she was raped on an Ashburn jogging trail, residents say they feel as safe as ever in their leafy, family-oriented neighborhood -- although they have vowed to be more vigilant.

The girl told authorities that she was walking on a paved trail along Claiborne Parkway near the Dulles Greenway about 8 p.m. April 28 when a man grabbed her from behind, pulled her into a wooded area and assaulted her. She reported the attack to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office that night, officials said.

On Friday, officials released a composite sketch of the man. He is described as a white male in his late teens or early 20s, about 6 feet tall, with brown eyes, short black hair and bad acne. He was wearing a long white T-shirt and black pants at the time of the incident, officials said.

Because the trail is heavily traveled and near a major road, the sheriff's office says it is likely someone saw the man.

"Claiborne Parkway at 8 o'clock at night is not deserted," spokesman Kraig Troxell said. "Someone may have seen something."

Deputies are combing through recent cases to see whether someone matching that description was involved in another incident in that area. So far, nothing has turned up, Troxell said.

This is the first such incident in Loudoun County in recent memory, he said. But such incidents have occurred in other parts of the region. In March, an 18-year-old man believed to have been behind several incidents in Arlington and Alexandria was convicted in the sexual assault and beating of a woman on the Four Mile Run.

Ashburn Farm residents say it's hard to imagine their popular trail as the scene of such a violent crime. The well-maintained, unnamed path hugs Claiborne Parkway, a busy thoroughfare, and is only sporadically obscured from drivers' view. It runs between the roadway and a dense stretch of woods that backs up to some homes.

"Obviously I'm very concerned for the girl and the family, and I'm concerned they find who did this, but I'm not feeling like I need to change any of my patterns," said Glenn Maravetz, vice president of the Ashburn Farm homeowners association.

To some women, it reinforced the need to be careful. Shawn Nabors, 41, who lives four blocks from the trail, said years ago she was followed by a man while she was running on a trail in another community.

She escaped unharmed, but the experience awakened in her an attention to safety that has stuck. She tries to change her daily pattern, she said, running at different times of the day so no one can predict her movements. And she tries never to go jogging alone.

"After 20 years of changing patterns, it is a way of life," she said. "Maybe for these young girls it's brand new to them."

Violent-crime experts say people should follow some basic precautions while on walking and jogging trails, such as going in groups and being aware of surroundings. When jogging alone, a person should either leave MP3 players at home or keep the volume low, said Easton McDonald, a deputy specialist with the sheriff's office.

"Sometimes you won't pick up on a person behind you," said McDonald, who has taught self-defense techniques to women. "That could mean the difference between becoming a victim and being able to run away."

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the sheriff's office, at 703-777-0475. To remain anonymous, contact Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.

Tammi Marcoullier ofhttp://washingtonpost.comcontributed to this report.