May 5, 2008 11:04 pm US/Central
Police: Woman Jumps Out Window Fleeing From Rapist
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Police said a 20-year-old woman was confronted by a stranger in her residence on the 1000 block of 15th Avenue S.E. just after midnight Sunday.
CBS
A young woman jumped out a second story window after being sexually assaulted early Sunday morning at her home near the University of Minnesota campus, according to Minneapolis police.
Police said a 20-year-old woman was confronted by a stranger in her residence on the 1000 block of 15th Avenue S.E. just after midnight Sunday. The man attacked her before she was able to escape.
According to Minneapolis Police Sergeant Jesse Garcia, the woman was sexually assaulted and then fled out of a second story window, breaking her ankle from the fall. She then ran to a neighbor's house to report the assault.
Police are not saying if the 20-year-old woman is a U student but the neighborhood is among the most popular for off-campus living. On April 26, an 18-year-old female student was sexually assaulted in Pioneer Hall, a campus dorm building.
According to police, one suspect grabbed the victim and pulled her into the restroom on the third floor of the dorm. A second suspect held her down while the first suspect assaulted her. Police said the attackers ran and the young woman got help from a friend in the building.
Police say the two attacks are not related. No arrests have been made in either attack. Now police are warning women at the University of Minnesota to be cautious. Anita Bendickson teaches University of Minnesota students self-defense. She said one key is to trust your instincts.
Bendickson said if you think you hear someone outside your window call 911, don't check it out yourself. If you are attacked, Bendickson said try not to scream because when you scream you are holding your breath. And when you're scared you might not be able to get any sound out at all.
"Rather than screaming is to think of exhaling. "NO! HALT!" You notice that's just as loud as the scream but which one sounds more powerful," said Bendickson.
Bendickson said if an attacker grabs you don't pull away. Try to move in closer and grab back, then fight. If you would like to see Anita Bendickson's mini-course on self-defense just go to Esme's blog by clicking here.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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