Assault on Mount Vernon Bike Trail

[KLizotte]

Thanks so much for the head’s up; this is the first time I’ve heard about it. How awful for the victim and the rest of us women who use the trail. I’ve always felt very safe on it and will continue using it but will be more vigilant. I’m shocked this happened at 3:45 during a nice sunny day. My little bubble has been pricked. 😡 We really do need to look out for one another.

[Emm]

@KLizotte 126543 wrote:

Thanks so much for the head’s up; this is the first time I’ve heard about it. How awful for the victim and the rest of us women who use the trail. I’ve always felt very safe on it and will continue using it but will be more vigilant. I’m shocked this happened at 3:45 during a nice sunny day. My little bubble has been pricked. 😡 We really do need to look out for one another.

Your bubble should have been pricked awhile ago . A few years back there were a bunch of daytime assaults on the Custis if I remember correctly. Just google “assualt on custis” and you’ll get a fair # of returns. There seem to be fewer on the MVT, but they still occur, and usually during the day.

I had an indecent exposure incident a few months ago on the MVT, and I’ve heard similar stories from a few other people. It was hard to tell if I happened to bike up behind a guy using the bathroom in less-than-secluded area, or if he was eager to show off. It happened to be right during a nasty thunderstorm though, and by the time I got to a dry place (my house) we had massive basement flooding and I forgot to report it until a few days later.

[PotomacCyclist]

I’ve personally never had any issues there. But the worst trail attack I’ve ever read about took place on Daingerfield Island (the wooded area just to the north of the GenOn plant, and not really an island) in 2005. Since there haven’t been any other homicides along the trail since then, it would be accurate to say it was an isolated incident. But I still think about it when I’m riding around there. Sort of tough to forget the story once you read it.

The cyclist was actually riding on Marina Drive, the service road on the island, just off the MVT. He was headed toward the river.

The story is grisly. If you just want the summary, the criminal assaulted three cyclists in the area, strangling one. He threatened a witness and chased that person on the first victim’s bike. When two other people arrived on the trail, the attacker fled. He was found by police a short distance away, naked. Then he bit one of the arresting officers and told them he had AIDS. The attacker later pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years. So at least he isn’t out there running around and still going after people.

Potomac Yard has changed a lot over the past decade, for the better. But it’s always good to be aware of one’s surroundings out on the trails or roads.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060901735.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/10/AR2006021002069.html

[Rootchopper]

Near Ford’s Landing where the trail turns toward the Wilson Bridge a teenage boy exposed himself to me as I was riding home about ten years ago. I think I caught him a moment after he relieved himself and he reacted idiotically. Still you never know.

On a much more serious note, a young woman was raped and murdered on the Custis Trail in 1990. It happened behind the high wall on the hill leaving Rosslyn. Lighting is better there now but the area is still shielded from view. The perpetrator was executed in 2010.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031602896.html

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