Following three separate reports of sexual battery on the Los Gatos Creek Trail since February, the Los Gatos Police Department is advising all users of the trail to travel with a partner and report any suspicious person or activity they encounter. The victims have all been women walking or jogging alone.
The first incident occurred at 11 a.m. on Feb. 8 when a man rode up behind the victim, grabbed her buttocks and rode away. The suspect was described as white, in his mid-40s, of average height and weight with short salt-and-pepper colored hair and a mustache. He was riding a black mountain bike.
On April 23, a man with a similar description attacked a woman by grabbing her shoulder as he rode by on his bike. Both fell to the ground and the victim sustained a major head injury. She underwent surgery for a severe scalp laceration.
On April 19 at 10:45 a.m., a man also described as being in his mid-40s, but with brownish-red hair tied in a ponytail and a bald spot on his head, reportedly rode up behind a victim and grabbed her breasts.
The LGPD has increased patrols in the area. Police believe there may have been other incidents that were not reported. Contact Detective John Pernick at 354-6825 with information or to report previously unreported assaults.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 1, 1996.
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