A woman was thrown to the ground and raped Friday at 9:00 a.m. as she was jogging around the track at Charlottesville High School.
The attacker approached the victim from behind with a black garment -- possibly a shirt -- which he used to cover her face before "throwing her down and raping her on the track," Charlottesville Police Detective Wendy Louis said.
According to Louis, the attacker had a knife, which he put to the victim's throat in what was the second such attack of the morning.
In the first incident another female was completing her morning exercise routine at 6:00 a.m. on Meade Avenue near Meade Park when a man unsuccessfully attempted to rape her.
In this incident, the attacker also approached the woman and covered her face with a dark object, Louis said.
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The attacker told the screaming woman to "shut up" several times as he dragged her into the woods, according to Louis.
However, the victim continued to scream and the attacker threw her down and fled the scene.
According to Louis, this victim also said that before he fled, the attacker threatened her with a shiny object - possibly a knife.
Based on modus operandi and current evidence, Louis said police believe the same man attacked both women.
The suspect is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds - neither victim was able to fully describe the suspect, Louis said.
Louis said police have received a "tremendous response" from residents in both areas concerning suspicious people they saw in the area before and after the incidents and are following these leads.
Police also are looking into any possible connection between these attacks and a series of sexual assaults - several during broad daylight - during the summer of 1997.
Anyone with information about either incident should contact Detective Wendy Louis at 970-3998.
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