Police: 2 Indecent Assaults In Past Week On Schuylkill River Trail
By Walt Hunter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Police are asking women to be extra alert after, they say, two runners were indecently assaulted over the past week, in separate but similar attacks by different teenage suspects.
"A young man approximately age 13 to 16 is riding by on a bicycle," Lt. John Stanford told CBS 3's Walt Hunter.
"And while he's passing by, he inappropriately touches the female on the rear end, it's indecent assault."
Both assaults happened between 7 and 8 p.m. on the same stretch of the trail between Walnut and Locust Sts. The first October 21st and the second on Tuesday evening.
Runners told Hunter they are surprised and concerned to hear about the attacks.
"We've never really seen an issue like that come up, so it's concerning," one jogger told Hunter.
But Mike Albany, a veteran trail biker, says long before the two most recent assaults, he's seen similar groups of teenagers, who he calls "the wheely kids", in action.
Both Albany and police emphasize determining the exact number of assaults on the trail is difficult because many are never reported.
"I think one of the biggest problems is that people that ride by 'em, run by 'em, walk by 'em and just let 'em do whatever it is 'cause they don't want to get involved," he told Hunter.
"They want to stay indifferent to it and it gives them the power to feel they can do whatever they want."
Police urge anyone victimized by the teenage suspects to call immediately, but, they caution, do not attempt to chase or detain them.
Officers also caution runners to avoid using the trail alone, if possible, and to maintain situational awareness which is difficult when using ear buds.
