A woman was able to fend off a man who tried attacking her while she was walking on the Riverwalk in Waltham, Massachusetts, according to Massachusetts State Police.
The man has not yet been tracked down.
A woman, who is in her 20s, told police that she was walking on the footbridge across the Charles River between Newton Street and Farewell Street around 8 p.m. Sunday, when a man grabbed her from behind and tried to put his hand over her mouth, state troopers said in a news release Monday morning.
Authorities said that the woman screamed and "took evasive action," sending the attacker running off.
Mass. State police and Waltham police searched the area but were not able to find the man, described as being in his 30s or 40s, having an athletic build and wearing a baseball cap.
Police urged people to be aware of their surroundings and to carry with them a cell phone. Troopers also advised that people not wear headphones while walking in public, and to consider carrying pepper spray. They also said to try to scream, make noise and fight back if you are being assaulted — and to of course call 911 if something suspicious is going on.
This isn’t the first time something like this has happened on the Riverwalk. Last fall two women were assaulted in the area. Police said they have not made any arrests in those incidents, and could not confirm if they're related to the latest attack.
