CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A woman escaped an attempted attack in Jennings Forest early Tuesday after fighting off a man who grabbed her, prompting Clay County Sheriff Melissa Cook to issue a public safety alert.
Around 7:30 a.m., the woman said she was walking her dog through Jennings Forest when a man she did not know approached her and forcefully grabbed her arm, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
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The woman fought back, and her dog helped scare off the suspect. She was not injured.
The sheriff’s office returned to the area to search for the suspect but only recovered the woman’s backpack. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said it was working with the woman to create a composite sketch of the suspect.
The suspect is described as a white male in his late 40s, about 6 feet tall, with a salt-and-pepper beard with little to no mustache, scruffy hair, yellow teeth and a strong musty odor. He was last seen wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt, dark jeans and hiking boots.
“This is pretty scary, and I wanted to make sure our community is aware of what happened this morning,” Cook said during a Facebook Live on Tuesday.
Cook urged residents to remain vigilant. Anyone who was in the area and saw something suspicious is asked to contact the CCSO at 904-264-6512 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app.