Man Arrested in Sex Assault, Robbery on Silver Spring Trail – NBC4 Washington

A woman was sexually assaulted by a man with a machete on a trail at a popular park in Silver Spring, police said. 

Montgomery County police said the victim and a friend were having lunch when the man attacked on the Northwest Branch Trail, off of Columbia Pike near Burnt Mills East Park, before 3 p.m.

Authorities said the man robbed them and demanded sex, assaulting one of the women before running away.

Police were able to catch the suspect not long after. Because the investigation is ongoing, his name and what charges he will face were not immediately revealed.

News of the assault made Sammi Frey and her mother, who use the trail often, uneasy.

“[I] come with my friends all the time. We like just sitting on the rocks, and you know, even like at night we’ll just come here and just relax,” Frey said. “Now that’s definitely not something I’m going to do anymore.”

While the investigation continues, police are doing their best to reassure the public that the attack was an isolated incident and county parks are safe.

“It’s tragic for the victims obviously to have to experience something like this and we feel it. You know, we in park police feel it every time something happens, because we work so hard to maintain that safety. So it’s tragic to us as well,” Lt. Charles Smith, of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, said.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.