A teenage girl was sexually assaulted while riding her bicycle along a wooded trail in Leander, Texas, and the local police are intensifying their search for the suspect, authorities confirmed. The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon between 4 and 4:26 p.m. behind Benbrook Ranch Park. The suspect, described by police as a white male around 5’11” tall and 180 pounds with short brown hair and stubble, remains at large as law enforcement officials leverage drone technology and K9 units in their hunt, according to CBS Austin.
Lt. Mike Mohler of the Leander Police Department expressed the community's concern and the urgency of the case stating that "obviously whenever there’s a crime perpetrated against a child or anyone for that matter - but even more so for a child - it is hard on law enforcement, it’s hard on the family, it’s hard on the public, to know someone is out there who could do this to a child," in a statement obtained by CBS Austin.
Mohler also mentioned in an interview with KXAN that in response to the assault, the parks department will increase staffing to ensure greater visibility and safety within the local parks.
The community is responding with increased vigilance as well, parents in the area like Danielle Riser, who frequents the park due to her children's love for softball, are now rethinking the level of freedom they afford their children in light of the attack, as reported by CBS Austin. "Usually, I would let my kids go play in the park over there and I could see them in my view. And now I don't want to do that, which is sad we still have to be thinking about those things all the time," Riser said, reflecting a sentiment echoed by many others in the community.
The Leander Police Department is urging anyone with information, especially those with relevant video footage from the time of the crime, to reach out. They are particularly appealing to residents with surveillance systems and those who were at the game during the assault to review their footage for images that may help identify the assailant; anyone who can assist is asked to contact Sgt. George at 512-528-3839 or via email at [email protected], as the details gathered could be instrumental in capturing the perpetrator and preventing future incidents.
