FREDERICKSBURG, VA — Fredericksburg police are offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in any of three assault investigations along the Canal Path, Heritage Trail and Ficklen Island, authorities said.
Reward amounts will be based on the value and impact of the information provided, police said.
The incidents happened between October 2025 and May 2026, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department. Detectives are trying to determine whether any of the cases are connected, but no link has been confirmed, police said.
The department said the cases are separate from prior sexual assault cases reported in March 2026, in which a suspect is incarcerated awaiting trial.
The first incident was reported about 9 p.m. Oct. 19, 2025, on the Canal Path between Washington Avenue and Emancipation Highway near Cossey Pond. The victim told police she was walking on the path when an unknown man approached and assaulted her, according to police. A K-9 track did not locate the suspect.
Police described the suspect as a man about 5 feet, 4 inches to 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with a medium build. Police said he was possibly of Middle Eastern, Hispanic or Indian descent.
The second incident was reported about 9:30 p.m. May 1 on the Canal Path. Police said the victim reported she was walking on the path after leaving the Fredericksburg Shopping Center when an unknown man approached and assaulted her after she passed under the Emancipation Highway bridge heading toward Cossey Pond.
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The suspect fled before officers arrived, police said. A K-9 track did not locate him.
Police described the suspect as a Hispanic man about 6 feet tall with dark hair. He was wearing a black hoodie and blue pants, police said.
The third incident was reported between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday on Ficklen Island. The victim told police she was sitting on a large rock by the river when an unknown man approached and assaulted her, according to police.
Police said a K-9 track was conducted, and Fredericksburg and Stafford drone teams searched the area. The suspect was described as a short Hispanic man wearing a black shirt and black slide sandals.
All three investigations are active and ongoing, and no arrests have been made, police said.
Since March, the department has dedicated more than 163 hours of patrol time on the Canal Path and nearby areas, in addition to regular patrols, according to police.
Police said officers will continue to increase patrols along the Canal Path. Authorities urged residents to stay alert while walking or exercising outdoors, especially after dark, and to report suspicious activity.
Anonymous tips can be sent by texting “FPDtip” followed by the tip to 847-411. Tips can also be submitted through the FPD Tip app, police said.
The Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault can be reached at rcasa.org or through its 24/7 hotline at 540-371-1666, police said.
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