Austin Jogger Escapes Abduction, Police Seek Suspect

AUSTIN, TX — Police are investigating the near-abduction of a female jogger in southwest Austin early Friday, officials said.

According to an Austin Police Department press advisory, officers received a call at around 5:05 a.m. alerting to the incident. A woman was jogging southbound along Escarpment Boulevard when she noticed a dark-colored car pull up beside her.

The woman told police the driver then got out of the vehicle to talk to her before he grabbed her and attempted to pull her into the vehicle. The woman was able to fight the man off, and he fled after another car approached. The area where the incident occurred is near Hillside Terrace Drive not far from Mills Elementary School.

The suspect is believed to be of Middle Eastern descent, and spoke with an accent. He is five feet, seven inches tall, and is in his mid 40s to 50s. The man has black hair that is long on the top and shorter on the sides. His vehicle was last seen traveling westbound on 290 just after the incident.

Police released a sketch of the suspect hoping someone might recognize him and alert as to his whereabouts:

Police have scheduled a press conference to provide more details on the incident at 1:30 p.m., officials said in a media advisory. Patch will update once more information is known.