Man Accused Of Assaulting, Undressing Woman on Marlboro Trail Arrested

Police have arrested a man for allegedly assaulting a woman and trying to remove her clothes on a rail trail in Marlboro, Massachusetts.

The accused, identified as John Parker, 35, was arrested just hours after the photos and the video of the Monday morning incident, shot by the woman, were released by the authorities.

The 40-year-old victim called police around 6:20 a.m. to report the attack on her on the Assabet River Rail Trail, near the intersection of Fitchburg Street and Sasseville Way. The woman said she was out on her morning walk when the incident took place, Marlboro police said.

The woman said that the man approached her from behind, grabbed her around the neck, and pushed her onto the ground. She screamed and fought to defend herself as the suspect tried to pull off her clothing, Marlboro police said in a Facebook post.

The woman was able to break free from the suspect before turning and running in the opposite direction towards the Fitchburg Street intersection. She, however, managed to use her cellphone to record the suspect, as he tried to flee from the spot. The victim suffered minor injuries to her mouth and calf.

According to police, the woman had described the attacker as a "white male, between 30-40 years old, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a facial piercing." He was clad in loose-fitting brown cargo shorts and a blue flannel shirt. A tattoo or marking on the upper area of his left calf was also evident from the video captured by the victim.

After the video was released to the public, a woman Erin Balthazar called officers to say that the accused was her friend. "I could tell right from the tattoos who it was," Balthazar was quoted by CBS Boston. "It was kind of shocking because he’s such a nice guy, and I would never expect it to be him."

Police praised the victim for her keeping her composure and recording the victim. "It was great that she had kept her composure to a point where she was able to get her camera out and get that footage," said Marlboro Police Sgt. Zac Attaway.

Parker is due to be arraigned on charges of assault and battery and assault with intent to rape at a later date.