ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies in St. Johns County are looking for a man who they said attacked a woman who was jogging Sunday evening in St. Augustine.
Investigators said the woman was attacked just before dusk in the area of Old Moultrie Road, just north of Lewis Point Road. She was running near the road behind a department store.
The woman struggled with the man and was able to break free, deputies said. They said she alerted a motorist, who called 911.
The woman was taken to Flagler Hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and released.
Deputies said initial indications are that the attack may have been sexually motivated.
The attacker is described as a white man in his early to mid-40s. He was wearing a white shirt, black jogging pants and white shorts underneath. He is also described as having dark, unkempt hair and facial hair.
There are several homeless camps in the area. Police searched them Sunday night looking for a man matching that description, but no arrests were made. Investigators said it's possible the attacker is a transient.
"That information was released that he was possibly a transient, but at this point it's too early on in the investigation, and of course we don't want to say for sure that he was a transient because it could be anybody," said Cpl. Catherine Payne, of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Cary Foreman watched a police helicopter search for the attacker around her apartment.
"It makes me very nervous, very nervous, because I live here," Foreman said.
Channel 4 Crime Analyst Ken Jefferson said runners should always make safety their first priority.
"You should feel safe; however the streets are not safe. Especially not if you are a woman and alone," he said. "You're showing your vulnerability if you go out alone with no way to defend yourself and no way to contact police."
The Sheriff's Office is advising residents, particularly women, to walk or jog with a partner and to make sure they keep a cell phone with them in case they need to call for help.
Jefferson also advises against wearing headphones while running because it's harder to hear if someone is a threat. He suggests running in a familiar, populated area, and if you feel comfortable, carrying mace.
"We walk this area a lot because we take taxi's everywhere," Melissa Hay added. "We walk up and down this road all the time, so of course that freaks me out."
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office at 904-824-8304 or Crime Stoppers at 888-277-TIPS (8477).