Reports of men confronting and frightening women with inappropriate behavior in Sterling and Ashburn have been on the rise, records show.
In the last two months, authorities have investigated seven reports: a peeping Tom, men exposing themselves, one man chasing a woman and another approaching two women. In addition, a man grabbed a 39-year-old Herndon woman from behind as she was taking trash to a dumpster in mid-November. They struggled before he ran off into the woods near the 100 block of Carpenter Drive in Sterling. The Sheriff’s Office said the woman received minor injuries, but medical attention was not required. The assailant was described as 5 feet 9 inches and 165 pounds.
Bruce Tulloch, vice-chairman of the Board of Supervisors and a member of the Public Safety Committee, said the Sheriff’s Department needs to come up with an efficient plan to take care of the situation and to inform the public about it. The committee met earlier this week. "I’ve read the reports, as a member of the Public Safety Committee, and nobody said a word of it," he said.
Allison Howard, case manager for the Victim Witness Program in the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, said females — teen-agers and adults — should exercise caution. "They should be concerned, especially when it’s more than once in the same general area," she said. "They say, ‘Safety in numbers.’ Do not, especially, go out by yourself at night."
Kraig Troxell, a spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, said the key to safety is being aware of one’s surroundings. "I would put it as a red flag for caution," he said, regarding the series of incidents. "Women should be aware … and take precautions when they are going out on the bike trail or walking to their car in a parking lot or a shopping center."
Tulloch agreed about the importance of being cognizant of surroundings. "It is a different world than we used to live in," he said.
REPORTS PROVIDED the following information:
* Exposure: A 48-year-old Ashburn woman was loading bags into her vehicle on Dec. 3, 2004, when she noticed a man exposing himself in a car behind her. She screamed and he drove off. The incident occurred at the 21000 block of the Dulles Town Circle in Sterling.
* Peeping Tom: On Dec. 10, 2004, a 27-year-old Sterling woman saw a man looking into the rear windows of her home on Lincoln Avenue in Sterling. She described the man as possibly being Hispanic, wearing a red baseball hat and a blue jacket.
* Exposure: A 27-year-old Lansdowne woman said she was leaving the 46300 block of Potomac Run Plaza in Sterling on Jan. 3, when a man exposed himself. He was described as a Caucasian with a red goatee, wearing jeans and a white hat.
* Exposure: A 28-year-old woman heard several knocks at her door on the evening of Jan. 7. She did not respond to the knocks, but at one point she looked out the window and saw a man exposing himself. The incident occurred at 12:30 a.m. on the 130 block of Auburn Drive in Sterling. He was described as a white or Hispanic man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and a mask. A neighbor also reported hearing the knocking.
* Suspicious person: On Feb. 1, a woman reported being followed by a man while she was walking her dog at the intersection of Claiborne and Wayside in Ashburn. Her discomfort increased when he asked her if he could walk with her. She described the man as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches, 190-200 pounds, wearing a black cap, blue jeans and a dark jacket.
* Suspicious person: On Feb. 1, a 22-year-old Sterling woman was running on a bike trail in the area of Countryside Boulevard when a man ran past her and then began running behind her. The man was not wearing running attire and walked into the woods at one point. He was described as a Hispanic male in his mid-thirties. He was 5 feet 5 inches and weighed about 180 pounds. He wore carpenter jeans and a green coat.
* Suspicious person: On Feb. 1, a 42-year-old Sterling woman was walking her dog in the area of Prescott Court & Rutherford Circle in Sterling when a man ran from a group of trees and began to chase her. He was in his mid-twenties, 5 feet 9 inches, with a narrow body frame and light brown hair. He was wearing a dark blue jacket with dark jeans.
TROXELL SAID THERE ARE a number of steps that women can take to protect themselves. He recommended carrying cell phones, notifying family and friends of destinations, having keys ready and noticing whether their cars are parked next to a van.
"Pepper spray is another good thing, and have it ready for use," he said. "Digging into their purse, it takes them several seconds."
Troxell also suggested that women vary their destinations, whether by foot or motor vehicle, and to stick to well-lit and public areas. He recommended taking the Sheriff’s mother/daughter self-defense workshops; the next one is scheduled this spring. A specific date has not been set.
The free workshop is open to all female Loudoun County residents over the age of 12. Deputies teach basic self-defense techniques through instruction, demonstration and practice. The clinic’s purpose is to educate women on sexual assault issues and rape awareness.
Howard said the Victim Witness Program provides help 24 hours a day for sexual assault victims. "We go to the scene or the hospital and of course, we accompany them to court," she said. "If you do become a victim, try to get the best description of the person you can, so hopefully police will catch him, and hopefully, it won’t happen again."
Troxell said the workshop teaches mothers and daughters that confrontation often works. If a woman or teen-ager encounters inappropriate behavior, she should respond quickly. "It’s important to get to as safe a place as you can and call authorities immediately so the deputy can respond and track down the person," he said. "Get a good description of the vehicle. It’s difficult to pay attention to details, but try."