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Another woman is assaulted at Lake Phalen

By MARY LYNN SMITH and LORA PABST, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: March 31, 2009 - 11:09 PM

Police are investigating another assault at Lake Phalen.

A woman running on the west side of the lake was attacked at about 6:30 p.m. Monday. The suspect followed the victim, knocked her to the ground, struck her in the face two or three times and grabbed at her clothing as she fought with him. The suspect was scared off when other people approached. Police said the victim wasn't seriously injured.

Three weeks ago, another female runner was accosted on the west side of the lake by two suspects who stole her iPod, hit her in the head, pushed her down and kicked her. And a week before that, a 45-year-old man walking his dog in a St. Paul neighborhood near the lake, which straddles St. Paul and Maplewood, was attacked by four males. The lake also was the site of two attacks last August.

Maplewood and St. Paul police say there's nothing to connect this latest attack to any of the other cases other than time and proximity. In Monday's case, the suspect appeared to be trying to sexually assault the woman, although robbery hasn't been ruled out, said Maplewood Police Lt. Dave Kvam.

Despite the rash of attacks this month, neighborhood organizers and police say Lake Phalen is safe.

"Over a million people use this park annually, so these few instances have soured the experience," said Leslie McMurray, the Payne Phalen District 5 Council organizer.

"It's ... natural that people will feel some anxiety, but we encourage everyone to get out to the lake and enjoy it," she said. But she advised that park users be smart and aware of their surroundings.

Anyone with information about Monday's case is asked to contact Maplewood police through the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center at 651-767-0640.

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788 Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

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