Updated:A woman walking along the 1100 block of NW 57th Street on Wednesday evening says she was sexually assaulted and robbed by a stranger. Detective Mark Jamieson with the Seattle Police Department tells us that they were dispatched to the scene just after 9:15 p.m. Seattle Fire also dispatched Engine 18 to assist the victim.
According to Detective Jamieson, the victim told police that she was walking down the sidewalk when the stranger attacked her from behind. A homeowner heard the commotion, opened the door and scared the suspect away. Police set up a containment area and called in K-9 units to track the suspect, who was never found. Detective Jamieson tells us the only suspect information they have is vague – white male in his 20’s about 6’1″ with a stocky build. (Thank you Sian & BJ for the emails.)
Here is the victim’s email sent to the Slog:
I was assaulted last night walking on 11th Ave NW & NW 57th St in Ballard… i feel like people should know, and watch out. The guy who assaulted me was big- think football player frat boy stocky- and was white and wearing a blue shirt. He has a buzz cut.
He ran up behind me, put his hand over my face and mouth and another on my chest and dragged me into the yard near those cross streets. I screamed several times, but he was covering my mouth and told me if I screamed again he would “pull something out of his pocket”. He first asked for cash and made me shake out my purse- I tried to give him the purse and I didn’t have any cash on me. I don’t think he was really that interested in robbing me, because he didn’t steal my iphone, check book, or anything else that I had- in fact, he didn’t actually even look in my wallet.
He then forced me to touch his penis, and kept asking if I was a virgin. Please warn people to say NO- it was very clear to me that he wanted to hear yes. He also said things like “I’m not going to rape you because I don’t have a condom.” (thanks sex ed… you may have saved me from being raped, right?) But I think he may have- I was screaming and struggling on and off, which pissed him off more- I got thrown into the ground several times whenever I tried to- almost got away once and he dragged me back and told me he’d kill me. He got my shirt off and was unzipping my pants when the guy whose yard he had dragged me in opened his front door.
The guy who was assaulting me then ran off and I ran into that house. I am so grateful that the guy was home and checked his yard out when he heard screaming- if he had ignored it, I have no doubt I would have been raped- despite my best efforts to fight back.
This guy seems to me to be someone who has done this maybe once before, but not more than that. He seems to be escalating- from the false robbery pretense to asking for a hand job, to starting to get on top of me. I’m scared that he is going to do this to someone else again if he’s not caught.
I stayed at the stranger’s house (who was gracious and awesome) until the police came and took my statement. They did not catch the guy nor seemed to have any real leads etc., which really worries me.
Please let people know about this. I’m usually a really careful and watchful person- if this could happen while I am stone sober at 9 at night in a relatively safe area- it could happen to anyone.
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Poor thing. That really sucks! Good neighbor for scaring him away!
But in the Forums, SPG says he doesn’t think it’s true!
So nothing to see here. The know it all douchebag has spoken.
he was scared away, yet a sexual assault and robbery occurred. that sob needs to be caught and fast.
Thank you to my good neighbor for alerting the others on the block. She knocked on doors & sent out flyers and safety information. This is a family neighborhood and the incident is very disturbing. We will be vigilent!
KIRO 7 van at corner of 11th and NW 57th now. I asked the cameraman what time they are doing a live broadcast and on what topic. This attack, and 6pm.
wow. how terrifying.
needless to say i hope this scumbag is caught soon. it sounds like he’d do this agian for some reason.
I live right over there and carry a handgun for good reason… try this one on me scum bag and boom, your dead!
You had an angel watching over you
She sounds brave and smart! So glad she went public with this story – go get that bastard!!
I admire your courage to tell your story. Sexual assault is not easy to talk about and when told from the your point of view, it is especially powerful. I wish you well. Love and nurture yourself. Thanks for sharing your voice.
As a young female who takes frequent evening walks in the Ballard neighborhood this is a very frightening thing to read about but puts a lot into perspective. I appreciate your willingness to come forward and tell your story. It spreads awareness and gives people like me a big reality check as it could potentially happen to anyone.
I am so saddened that this happened, we try so hard to feel comfortable in our own neighborhood and when something like this takes place it just makes us more on guard, cautious, and paranoid. I hope this douche is found.
The blame for this goes squarely on the shoulders of our mayor who is more focused on personal recreation on 2 wheels or figuring out how to stall the viaduct. No increase of police in these parts…..the scum like this guy feel comfortable around here as their is no worry of police presence.
If I was a despicable piece of garbage like this guy, I’d also hang out in these parts; no worries of patrol officers or anything.
If the mayor were as outraged about this, the worst kind of “jump out of the bushes” sexual assault as he was about bike lanes and finding new and improved ways of treating Seattle’s drunken bum population like an endangered indigenous tribe, perhaps a focus on improving safety on the street level as job 1 would command more of his energy.
But hey! Ballard is welcoming in a brand spanking new state of the art bum hotel soon! Be sure to know this will be more frequent in the future…
The blame for this goes squarely on the shoulders of our mayor who is more focused on personal recreation on 2 wheels or figuring out how to stall the viaduct. No increase of police in these parts…..the scum like this guy feel comfortable around here as their is no worry of police presence.
If I was a despicable piece of garbage like this guy, I’d also hang out in these parts; no worries of patrol officers or anything.
If the mayor were as outraged about this, the worst kind of “jump out of the bushes” sexual assault as he was about bike lanes and finding new and improved ways of treating Seattle’s drunken bum population like an endangered indigenous tribe, perhaps a focus on improving safety on the street level as job 1 would command more of his energy.
But hey! Ballard is welcoming in a brand spanking new state of the art bum hotel soon! Be sure to know this will be more frequent in the future…
No, the blame for this goes squarely with the citizens. You only get as good a government as you put into it. If you want the government to do something, you get off your butt, attend city council meetings and demand it. Like those citizens in California who found out their council members voted themselves huge raises. Where were they when the council did this? Their indifference to what goes on in their city allowed it to happen.
hide your kids
hide your wife
they rapin everybody out here
Truly Fed Up,
Tell me one place in the world where no one has ever been assaulted? Crime is everywhere people are. Stop trying to shift the focus from this poor girl to your stupid political agenda.
Directly blaming the mayor of our city for this particular crime is ridiculous. Period.
…Because she was almost raped and killed, but instead just assaulted and robbed? Hardly an act of “divine intervention,” I’d say..
I sorry and angry to hear that this happened, but it the courageous woman who posted it did right to warn others. The blame falls squarely on the perpetrator. He will get caught, if not for this, for some criminal act. He deserves the max. I often walk the dog in that neighborhood. I will be alert to any malfactors, miscreants, or troublemakers. I was nearly killed (they restarted my heart in the emergency room) in an assult and robbery on Beacon hill. Life in the big city can be dangerous, but life goes on. I don’t stop living and enjoying life as much as I can.
from the sound of the way this went down, i bet your gun would have done him more good than you.
Wow, I so appreciate you saying that.
Seattle has had an understaffed police force since the 1980’s. McGinn might not be doing much to help this under the current budget situation, but it has been a problem for a long, long time, and hardly the fault of the current mayor.
Dang! I just started letting my 9-year-old daughter walk the puppy around the block in this neighborhood. Time for some arse-kickin self defense classes I guess…
Jesus Christ, we need more police presence in the neighborhood this is crazy. Perhaps a recent graduate of Ballard High, lord knows there’s enough vandalism coming from the school.
and open your door like that neighbor did when you hear something, ANYTHING! get involved.