Sandy Springs Man Charged With Attacking Sisters at Chastain Park

BUCKHEAD, GA -- A Sandy Springs man has been charged with attacking two runners Wednesday evening in Chastain Park.

Silvestre Diaz-Duque is charged with two counts of battery in connection to the incident, which police say happened around 9:40 p.m. Aug. 10.

Atlanta police were dispatched to the 100 block of West Wieuca Road and met with two women who said they'd been assaulted.

Once officers arrived on the scene, the first victim said she and her sister had finished running around the park and were walking to their vehicle when the incident occurred.

The first victim said as she got closer to her car, she was attacked by the male suspect. The man, who "never said a word," punched the second woman in the face and tried to grab the first victim, Atlanta police said.

The second woman ran for help as her sister fell to the ground. The first woman said that as she was kicking the suspect, the man put his hand over her mouth. The woman, who bit the man's hand, said the suspect then punched her in the back, the department said.

The suspect fled the scene on foot, and was seen running south through the park. Police units arrived on the scene, and canvassed the area for any signs of the suspect.

After searching the park and areas surrounding the venue, units from the Tuxedo Neighborhood Patrol and Tuxedo Road Patrol saw a man matching the suspect's description walking along Tuxedo Road.

The suspect was detained, and one of the victims was able to identify the man as the one who allegedly attacked her.

When interviewed by police, the man said he met the women and "asked for a ride back to his vehicle on Roswell Road."

"The suspect stated as they were walking to the victim's vehicle, he put his arm around victim number one's shoulder and she began to freak out, so the suspect punched her in the face," Atlanta police said.

He also said he was bitten on the hand by the first victim and when she she fell to the ground, the second sister began to panic, "so he punched her in the face," the agency added.

"The suspect said that he wanted victim number one to stop screaming, so he put his hand over victim number one's mouth, and she bit his hand again," police said.

At that moment, the suspect said he got scared and ran away from the scene.

Diaz-Duque was transported to the Fulton County Jail and was released on a $2,000 bond, jail records show.

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