Detectives say members of the public stepped in and tried to arrest the perpetrator of a violent sexual assault in northern WA this morning.
Key points:
- Broome police are investigating after a runner was sexually assaulted during his morning run on Friday
- The man attacked the woman and she screamed for help, drawing the attention of the public
- Police are asking for help identifying the man
The woman was jogging in Broome shortly after 5am on Friday when she was attacked by a man who has not yet been identified.
Police cordoned off the scene, a popular cycling and walking track in the northern suburbs of Broome, shortly after the incident.
They spent the day going through houses and looking for the man.
Broome police officer Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Beck said the woman fought off the attacker, attracting the attention of nearby residents and members of the public.
“A few citizens managed to locate the suspect, confronted him and tried to arrest him, but he managed to elude them,” he said.
“There was no physical confrontation, it was more verbal…we believe the suspect has threatened spectators or people who were attending.
“We are working through our actions to try to identify whether this is a targeted approach or something else.”
Senior Sergeant Brian Beck says the random nature of this morning’s attack is deeply concerning. (ABC Kimberley: Hinako Shiraishi)
The path is protected by dense bush and is not visible from the main road, which runs parallel to it.
The man was walking in the opposite direction of the woman when police say he attacked and sexually assaulted her.
Officers have been scouring nearby streets and houses in search of any clues. (ABC Kimberley: Jessica Hayes)
The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and St John’s Ambulance was called to take her to Broome Hospital.
“She has good family support, we are supporting her very closely and our efforts are quite intense to locate this suspect,” Detective Senior Sergeant Beck said.
The man is described as being between 40 and 50 years old, between 170 and 175cm tall and of medium to stocky build.
He has short sandy hair and facial hair.
Police are speaking to residents as their inquiries continue. (ABC Kimberley: Jessica Hayes)
The forensics team is also at the scene and detectives from the Sexual Assault Squad have been brought to Broome to assist.
Detective Senior Sergeant Beck said police would deploy additional resources from Perth to assist with the investigation and search for the offender.
“Members of the public are obviously asked to be vigilant and be aware of their surroundings,” he said.
“Obviously there’s a person out there that we’re still trying to locate.”
The path where the woman was allegedly attacked is a popular cycle and pedestrian promenade that runs through the north of the city and stretches south towards Broome Harbour.
Anyone with information or who has CCTV, dashcam or mobile phone footage of the area between 4.30am and 6am on Friday has been asked to call Crime Stoppers or report the information online.
Police say there is no indication of a link between this morning’s incident and a sexual assault at a party on Cable Beach in May, which detectives are still investigating.