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A 22-year-old Florida woman was jogging on a trail Monday night when she was slammed into the ground and repulsed a man who bit her, officials said.
Longwood’s 19-year-old William Paul Stamper was arrested in connection with the attack, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office announced early Wednesday.
A woman jogging on the West Wekiva Trail near Harrogate Place in Seminole County around 8:30 p.m. noticed a man following her, said Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma. told reporters on Tuesday.
The woman took off her earphones and started walking to save energy, so she could fight off the man and call for help if he started chasing her.
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According to the sheriff, the man eventually picked up his pace and slammed the woman into the ground from behind.
The victim held her mobile phone in one hand and lifted her pants in the other, screaming for help. A neighbor who heard the victim’s plea rushed outside and called 911.
By the time police arrived, officials said the woman had fought off the attackers who fled towards Hunt Club Boulevard.
Lemma credits the victim’s situational awareness and the neighbor who called 911 to prevent a worse situation.
“What saved her was her ability to be mindful of situations and save energy for the possibility of screaming for help or fleeing, and being a good Samaritan.”
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Lemma said the attacker was a “total stranger” to the victim and believed he targeted the woman.
Stamper was booked into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility on charges of attempted sexual assault.