An early-morning sexual assault on a jogger near an east Woodbury lake has shaken residents of the area and caused many to change their routines.
The 33-year-old jogger was attacked about 5:30 a.m. Saturday along a shady walking path on the northeast side of Markgrafs Lake, in Markgrafs Lake Park, police said.
"It really took us by surprise," said Ed West, who was walking along the lake with his family Sunday. "Nothing like that has happened here. It's pretty upsetting to the community."
The victim suffered physical injuries in the attack and was treated at Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury and released.
Because it was dark at the time of the attack, she was able to describe the attacker only as a male whom she did not know, according to police. Police have not made any arrests.
The attack took place in a secluded and wooded area of the park and yards away from the nearest home.
On Sunday, one of the warmest days of the year, dozens of residents strolled along the milelong walkway that circles the lake. Egrets flew over the lake. The sprawling community is made up of duplexes, apartments and single-family homes.
"It's the closest you can get to nature out here in these parts," said 51-year-old Kim Shallman, who was walking along the lake alone Sunday afternoon. "But it makes me nervous because of how secluded it is here."
