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Fort Collins police raising awareness of ‘stranger assaults’ over the past several months

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Posted at 4:30 PM, Dec 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-02 20:47:05-05

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Police in Fort Collins are alerting the community of several “stranger assaults” that have taken place over the past several months.

While there’s currently no evidence that the incidents are connected, investigators said the cases share some similarities and so police want to raise awareness about them.

Investigators said the first incident occurred on Aug. 21 at around 9:30 p.m. At the time, a teenage girl was walking by herself in Overland Park when a man approached from behind and tried to start a conversation with her. The girl rebuffed the man’s attempts and continued walking and the man then reportedly grabbed her wrist.

Police said the girl pepper sprayed him and ran home. She was not physically injured. Police said she told them the suspect was a man in his 20s or 30s, around 6 feet tall, with brown hair, little to no facial hair, and an average build.

About two months later, on Oct. 13, another teenage girl who was at a youth group event near the intersection of W. Drave Road and Dunbar Ave., experienced a similar situation. Police said the girl went to her car between 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. when a man grabbed her from behind. The girl pulled away, started running, and tripped. The man reportedly grabbed her again, but she fought him off and returned to the building.

The girl had minor scratches and bruises from the attack but “was otherwise uninjured,” according to police. The suspect was described as approximately 5 feet, 10 inches in height, and was wearing a mask that covered his face, a dark hoodie, and glove, police said.

Three weeks later, on Nov. 23, a third teenage girl was at sports practice at the Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) when an unknown man came out from behind a bush and grabbed her wrist as she was jogging outside the building. The girl kicked him and ran back into the building. Police said the teenage girl was not physically injured. She described the suspect as possibly in his 20s, around 6 feet tall, with an athletic build, short brown hair, and stubble facial hair, according to police.

“In each of these situations, responding officers canvassed the area but did not locate any possible suspects,” police said in a news release.

Detectives have continued investigating but haven’t identified any verified connections between the incidents or victims, nor were they able to obtain any video footage from these areas, they said.

“These incidents happened weeks apart, took place in different locations, and may not be related at all,” said Crimes Against Persons Sgt. Heather Moore. “However, we can’t ignore the fact that they do share some similarities, which is why we’re asking our community to remain aware and let us know if they have tips about these or other similar incidents.”

Anyone with information who has not already spoken to police is encouraged to contact the Crimes Against Persons Unit at (970) 416-2825 or email tipsline@fcgov.com.