One of four women attacked while jogging in Auckland has described the terror she faced when a man viciously assaulted her in broad daylight. Police in West Auckland and the wider North Shore and Albany areas are hunting a man who is thought to be involved in up to four attacks on women over the span of four weeks.
In the latest incident, a woman running on a walkway between Browns Bay Rd and Beechwood Rd was attacked from behind on Friday, November 8, about 4.40 pm. In a video released by Police, the victim – through an actress – describes the harrowing moment a man laid into her with his fists.
“I was in a ball … trying to cover my head and he was just punching me. And it was like, terror – will he stop?”
The woman said she had earlier passed him at the bottom of the walkway and had thought nothing of it. Detective Senior Sergeant Callum McNeill said the woman – who was wearing headphones at the time – did not know that the man had come up behind her in that short time.
“She’s been picked up by the waist and pole-driven into the ground and she’s landed quite heavily on her shoulder. “He has punched her multiple times around the head and then run off between Beechwood Rd.”
The attacks come after three very similar assaults on women out jogging in the area. Police now believe that the attacks are all connected to the same man. The first incident happened on the morning of Thursday, October 10, along a walkway in Murrays Bay.
Like the latest victim, she was grabbed from behind and violently thrown to the ground. She suffered a broken collarbone and concussion. Two weeks later, on Thursday, October 24, a woman jogging in the same area was attacked mid-morning. She suffered a broken nose.
In the latest Police Ten 7 episode, police released images of the two women attacked in Murrays Bay. Although both their faces are partially blurred, their injuries are evident. One sports a swollen face and black eye with blood smeared across her face.
The other has a bloody nose and mud on her lips and face. Blood streams down her neck and her left shoulder. The other attack happened in Massey, West Auckland. Although it is a bit further out from where the other three attacks happened, authorities now think the same man is involved.
In that incident, a woman suffered facial injuries and bruising when she was attacked while walking in Moire Park, Massey. The assault happened at 6.30pm on Saturday, October 26.
The woman in the latest attack acknowledged the psychological effects of the incident.
“I don’t know if I will get to go back to how I was – like, carefree and not worried. “But I don’t want it to change my life. But it’s not fair [because] it should never have happened.”
DESCRIPTION OF MAN BEING SOUGHT:
The man being sought by police is said to be in his mid 20 to early 30s and has an olive complexion. He is about 5ft 10 (179cm tall) and is described as being chubby – almost fat. He is also said to be portly around the stomach.
In each of the attacks, he has not said a word to his victims.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Police immediately on 0800 107 4638 or CrimeStoppers anonymous on 0800 555 111.
Source: Nzherald.
Featured Image: Do you know this man? Police investigating attacks on women joggers around Murrays Bay want to speak to this man. Photo / NZ Police/ nzherald.
