Woman Attacked At Downtown Decatur Parking Deck

DECATUR, GA — A woman who had walked to the DeKalb County parking deck in downtown Decatur was robbed and assaulted Saturday night, according to police.

Officers responded at about 9:23 p.m. to a call from the deck at Swanton Way and Commerce Drive. The woman told officers she had walked to the deck from Decatur Square while talking on her cellphone when she realized she had walked up to the wrong level of the parking deck.

As she turned to re-enter the stairwell, a man appeared behind her and snatched her phone from her hand, police said. He then handed the phone back to her and ordered her to remove a phone case and unlock the phone, according to Decatur Police.

The woman complied. The man then put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her toward a nearby vehicle and tried to lift her skirt, said police spokeswoman Lt. Jennifer Ross.

She whirled around to face her attacker, shoved him and shouted "No!" and "Leave!" according to police. The man ran away, jumping over the concrete wall of the parking deck. The woman left the deck to call 911.

A witness who was waiting for a bus at the Swanton Way bus stop had seen the victim and suspect go into the parking deck and watched them from a distance. Thinking the interaction was suspicious, he called 911, then approached the woman and offered for her to use his phone.

Police describe the suspect in the case as a black male, about 18 years old and standing about 5'6"-5'8" with a slender build. He was wearing a black mask covering part of his face, a greenish-brown hooded sweatshirt and light-blue skinny jeans.

The woman, who was not injured, described him as acting "very nervous and scared."

Photo via Pixabay