A runner competing in the Coweta Cup Cross Country Championship was ambushed near the course on Saturday morning by a man who emerged from the woods carrying rocks and wearing an East Coweta High School cross-country jersey, according to police. The man pushed the runner and struck him with his fists before the runner fought back and the attacker fled into the trees. Officers later identified the suspect as 19-year-old Newnan resident Aiden Thomas Dombrowski and charged him with battery.
Newnan police officers responded to the area of 56 Sewell Road at 7:59 a.m. on Sept. 26 after receiving a 911 call reporting an assault, according to times-herald.com. The victim and several witnesses told officers that a man had emerged from the woods near the course carrying rocks and wearing an East Coweta High School cross-country jersey, the outlet reported. Witnesses said the man ran toward the student, pushed him and struck him with his fists before the runner defended himself and the attacker retreated back into the woods, per the same account.
Suspect Turned Himself In After Runner Fought Back
Dombrowski turned himself in to officers a short time later in a nearby parking lot, the report noted. Police said he had changed clothes by the time he surrendered, but officers found the East Coweta jersey inside his vehicle. He was taken to the Coweta County Jail and charged with battery, according to the same source.
The runner defended himself during the altercation, leaving Dombrowski with a visible cut above his right eye, according to fox5atlanta.com. Investigators said Dombrowski drove from Athens on Friday night, slept in his car, and put on an East Coweta High School jersey on Saturday morning before the confrontation, the station reported. He told officers the incident was intended as a prank and denied hitting the athlete, though police have not determined why he targeted the specific runner, per the same report.
No Connection to East Coweta High School
Authorities said Dombrowski is neither a current student nor a graduate of East Coweta High School, according to times-herald.com, despite showing up to the meet dressed in the school's cross-country gear. As reported by CBS News, police have asked anyone with information about the attack to contact Sgt. Bradley Wilcox at 770-254-2355 or by email at [email protected].
The investigation remains ongoing, according to wsbtv.com. Investigators have not disclosed additional details about the athlete involved or how the case may proceed as they continue piecing together what led to the confrontation on the course.
