Police investigating claims of man groping joggers in Seattle

SPD looking for man accused of groping joggers

Several female joggers have reported being groped by a man while they were on a jog.

SEATTLE - Seattle Police are investigating claims of a man groping joggers along Lake Washington Boulevard, dating as far back as last April.

Police first received a report of a woman being groped on April 6. She told officers she was jogging near 17th Ave and E Marion St when a man grabbed her, then drove off in a white Lexus SUV.

Seattle Police say they received two similar reports just in the last month.

Another woman said she was grabbed while jogging near Lake Washington Blvd and E Alder St on Nov. 7. Another still said she was grabbed from behind while jogging at Lake Washington Blvd and Lakeside Ave. on Dec. 17.

FOX 13 spoke with the victim, who said her hope is to catch the man who violated her safety.

Authorities say all three incidents happened between 12–3 p.m.

"If you have to scream, yell, whatever you have to do to protect yourself, make sure you do that," said SPD Sgt. John O’Neil. "But please report. We do need people to report this because we cannot have somebody going out there disrespecting other people and their rights and touching them."

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All three accounts describe the suspect as an Asian man somewhere between his 20s and 40s, driving a white Lexus.

Anyone with additional information or who may be a victim is urged to contact SPD’s sexual assault unit at (206) 684-5575.