Raleigh Police Working to Identify Attempted Rape Suspect

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. on June 18, a 22-year-old female reported that she was riding a bicycle westbound on Stafford Avenue and was approaching its intersection with Chamberlain Street.

She had noticed a small dark-colored SUV behind her as she traveled on Stafford, and the vehicle struck her bicycle’s rear tire just before she reached Chamberlain.

The suspect got out of the SUV and approached the victim, who was not injured. After a brief conversation, the suspect offered to take the victim to her residence She agreed, and the damaged bicycle was placed on top of the vehicle.

However, instead of taking the victim home, the suspect drove to her a short distance to Horse Track Alley off Clark Avenue. After parking the car, the suspect grabbed the victim and indicated that he intended to rape her. The victim fought loose and managed to get out of the vehicle. She hid nearby as the suspect fled, leaving the victim’s bicycle behind.

The suspect is described as a white male with a medium skin tone. He was said to be about 5 feet 7-8 inches tall and had a muscular build. He had brown eyes, dark facial hair, may be in his 20s to 30s, and was wearing the cap, shirt, and shoes seen in the photo.

As mentioned earlier, the suspect’s vehicle is dark colored and may be a Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, or another similar four-door SUV. The vehicle has gray leather seats. It is not new but appeared to be in good shape.

Anyone who believes they may recognize the suspect is asked to call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at (919) 834-HELP or to go to the CrimeStoppers Web site at www.raleighcrimestoppers.org for instructions on reporting a tip on line or by text message. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.