'Grabs her by the hair:' Woman sexually assaulted in McCarty Park, suspect remains on the loose
McCarty Park
WETS ALLIS -- The search is on to find a man deputies say dragged a woman by her hair into some bushes and sexually assaulted her in McCarty Park Thursday night, July 5. Good Samaritans are being credited for coming to the woman's aid.
"I heard someone knocking at the door and I thought it was the neighbor," said Chris White, helped victim.
It's the kind of knock that no one expects at 11 p.m. at night. Chris White says he was shocked when he opened the door.
"I saw a lady there and she was crying asking for help, saying she was just assaulted across the street," said White.
White called 911.
Chris White
"My wife did most of the consoling," White said. "I went across the street to try and find him but I couldn't find him so I waited for the officers to come."
"She was able to fight and get away. So we're thankful for that piece of it," said Acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt.
Acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt says the victim first spotted the suspect near 84th and Beloit in West Allis. When she got to McCarty park, she was attacked.
McCarty Park
"This individual basically grabs her by the hair, pulls her into the bush area, and does things that are frankly too vile to even discuss right now," Schmidt said.
Richard Schmidt
While the crime is being described as heinous, deputies say it may not have been random.
"I think we have a better handle on who this person might be so I don’t want to minimize but I don’t want the public to be out there in a frenzy think there is some crazy guy running around," said Schmaling.
Officials are still urging neighbors to take precautions in the meantime -- asking people not to walk alone in the park at night.
McCarty Park
The family who called 911 is relieved the woman survived.
"It's a bad thing that happened to her but at least she is still alive. She said he was going to kill her if she called for help or went to anybody's house," said White.
They are hopeful the person lurking in the shadows will be behind bars soon.
"I hope they catch him and I hope he goes away for a while. He shouldn't do that to anybody," said White.
The suspect is described as a male, black, 30-31 years old, short hair, and goatee, wearing khaki shorts, sandals and a blue t-shirt with yellow lettering on it.
West Allis police are working with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office on the case.
If you have information relating to this incident, you are urged to contact sheriff’s office detectives at 414-278-4705.