Montgomery County Police said a woman running along the Northwest Branch Trail in Silver Spring was raped Monday around 4:15 p.m. On Tuesday, county police joined Park Police to announce an increase in patrols on park trails.
Police said a man armed with a knife forced the woman, who is in her 20s, off the trail, raped her and then fled. Police described the man as Hispanic, in his mid-20s, about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall with a medium build, medium complexion and short black hair. Police said the suspect was wearing a blue baseball cap, white T-shirt and black pants at the time of the assault.
Police addressed the media Tuesday afternoon to calm public fears. Lt. Rick Pelicano of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police joined Capt. Paul Starks of the Montgomery County Police Department to announce the increase in patrols on the park system’s trails.
“We want to reassure our [parks] employees and the public that our number-one mission is to ensure the safety of our employees and the public while they are utilizing the park system,” park police said in a press statement.
Pelicano said major crimes are not common on the park’s system’s trails and said the last one, a robbery, occurred more than a year ago, the Gazette reported.
Park Police also issued a number of safety tips. Among them: Take along a friend when using the trails, use parks during the daytime, don’t wear headphones, and avoid dark or deserted areas.
According to police, the rape occurred near Oakview Drive, near the Prince George’s County line. The Northwest Branch Trail extends about 13 miles from U.S. 29 in the south to Wheaton Regional Park in the north.
