West Chester police seek man accused of grabbing woman on trail near Dean Street

West Chester police are looking for a man accused of attacking a woman Tuesday evening as she walked along a residential trail by the 500 block of Dean Street, FOX 29, 6abc and CBS Philadelphia reported.

According to police accounts carried by FOX 29 and 6abc, the incident happened a little before 7 p.m., when a man she did not know came up to the woman and assaulted her. CBS Philadelphia gave the time as about 7 p.m. All three outlets said she shoved the man off and fled. Police told FOX 29 and 6abc that the man was last spotted running northward in the direction of Everhart Park.

The trail links to Everhart Park and lies roughly half a mile from the West Chester University campus, 6abc reported. FOX 29 said residents, runners and university students commonly use the area.

A resident had set up a trail camera on Saturday, and it captured the suspect, according to 6abc. Police made images public Wednesday morning. The homeowner then went over the recordings again and turned up clearer pictures, 6abc reported, and FOX 29 also noted that better-quality photos were later shared with police and the media. Thanks to night vision, the images came out bright despite the darkness, 6abc said.

In images given to 6abc, a man in a hoodie appears to pass a woman around 6:45 p.m. About 12 minutes later, near 6:57 p.m., the same man appears to seize a woman from behind.

Neighbor Todd Quarfot told 6abc that officers came to his door between 7 and 7:30 p.m. to ask whether he had sidewalk video. "I said ironically, 'I just installed a trail cam,'" Quarfot said. He told the station he intends to put up more lighting nearby.

According to FOX 29, police said the man is in his early 20s, clean-shaven, slender, dark-complexioned and close to six feet tall. During the attack he had on a black durag along with a hooded jacket in gray or silver, police said.

FOX 29 reported that the attack has unsettled people who use the park and the trails around it. Ryan Phillips, who works out at Everhart Park, told the station the spot normally draws crowds. "It's very active usually with kids, moms and dads playing, and a lot of runners passing by," he said. Residents told FOX 29 that seeing officers around Dean Street was somewhat reassuring, but they are eager for an arrest.

No arrest had been reported. Police are asking anyone with information to reach out to the West Chester Police Department.

Compiled by True News from reporting by CBS Philadelphia, FOX 29 Philadelphia and 6abc Action News. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/131