W&OD Trail Assaults Might Be Linked

Three women have been assaulted on the W&OD Trail in the Vienna and Reston areas in recent weeks, and police in Fairfax County and Vienna are looking into whether the same man might be responsible for the incidents.

The first attack occurred July 15, when a 25-year-old woman reported that she was approached by a man on a bicycle about 2 p.m. as she was running near Ayr Hill Avenue in Vienna. Police said the man exposed himself, threw the woman to the ground and positioned himself over her. The woman broke free and ran for help.

The second and third incidents happened over a span of about 15 minutes in the Reston area Thursday. A woman walking on the trail west of Hunter Mill Road said a man approached on a bicycle, exposed himself and pedaled away. About 10 minutes later, two women walking near mile marker 13, west of the Vienna town limits, reported that a man exposed himself and grabbed one woman by the arm. She screamed and the man fled.

The assailant in all three incidents is described as about 40 years old, cleanshaven and tan, with no shirt, black shorts and a cyclist-type hat. The Fairfax victims said the man was about 5-foot-7 and 200 pounds, with "a large belly." Anyone with information about the attacker is asked to call 866-411-8477. A composite drawing of the man can be viewed at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/news-releases/2009/080309updateexposure.htm.

-- Tom Jackman