Woman, 20, attacked on Provo River Trail

PROVO — Police are searching for a man who attacked and sexually assaulted a 20-year-old woman on the Provo River Trail Monday evening.

The woman was running along the trail near 970 W. 800 North in Provo when she was assaulted, Provo Police Sgt. Mathew Siufanua said. The man dragged the woman from the trail before attacking her.

"He pulled a knife out and said he was going to 'fix her face.'" Siufanua said. "At that time, he actually sexually assaulted her. He actually took the knife he had and cut her several places in the face, arms and body area."

The woman fought back and escaped. Doctors found her wounds to be superficial and say she should make a full recovery.

The woman has described her attacker as a Caucasian or Hispanic male wearing black shoes, black sweatpants and a black, hooded sweatshirt with the drawstring pulled tight, covering most of his face. She said the man was between 6 feet and 6 feet 1 inches tall and between 180 and 190 pounds.

The trail was the site of another attack in June 2010. In that incident, a Utah Valley University student was raped, beaten and left for dead by Shawn Michael Leonard, who was in jail but out for a work release program.

Leonard was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but many still expressed concerns about the riverside trail that is heavily forested in areas. Siufanua said a number of measures have been undertaken to address safety concerns, including daily patrols of the trail by police officers and the installation of cameras.

Police are urging women to always run with a partner and to never run alone at night. They also encourage women to carry a cellphone and take precautions to keep themselves safe.

Officers have also worked with the city Parks and Recreation department to clear the underbrush along the trail. Field interviews have also been conducted on suspicious persons in the area, in an effort to document their presence.

— Sam Penrod