Massachusetts State Police are searching for a man suspected of grabbing a woman at the Waltham Riverwalk on Sunday evening, the most recent attempted attack reported in an area along the Charles River where two sexual assaults occurred in the fall of 2022.
The suspect is believed to be in his 30s or 40s, with tan skin, average height and an athletic build. At the time of the reported attack, he was wearing a baseball hat, police said.
At around 8 p.m. Sunday, the woman, who is in her 20s, was walking on a footbridge between Newton and Farwell streets near a Shaw’s grocery store, police said. The woman told police she heard footsteps behind her before she was grabbed by a man who tried to put his hand over her mouth.
State police said the woman screamed and the attacker let her go and ran away. She told police she turned and saw him running, and was able to make out his identifying features.
State police and the Waltham Police Department responded and searched the area, but did not find the suspect. The investigation into the assault is ongoing, police said, and officers are looking into surveillance cameras in the surrounding area.
There is an increased police patrol presence in the area on Monday, state police said. Investigators are also comparing the assault to past attacks that occurred on the Riverwalk.
In 2022, police said a girl was raped and a woman was sexually assaulted on the Riverwalk. The first incident occurred on September 14, when a girl reported that she was walking near the Riverwalk after dark when she was grabbed from behind, raped and indecently assaulted.
The girl told police her attacker left when he thought he heard someone approaching the area. She did not catch sight of the man but heard what sounded like him mounting a bicycle and riding away.
On October 20, a 37-year-old woman reported to police that she was running on the path in the evening hours when a man twice touched her inappropriately as he rode by on a bike.
The September 2022 rape occurred near the Elm Street entrance to the Riverwalk, by Waltham Center. The October 2022 assault was about a mile upriver, by the corner of Prospect and Crescent streets, police said. The victims in both cases said their attacker did not speak during the assaults.
In light of the most recent assault, police urged the public to be aware of their surroundings and the presence of other people around them when walking in a public space.
State police also advised walkers to carry a cell phone, to not wear headphones, and to consider carrying pepper spray. The agency said to call 911 to report suspicious activity, and in the event of an assault, to scream, make noise and fight back.
