Arlington Heights police release sketch of suspect who attacked woman
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Arlington Heights police have released a composite sketch and surveillance image of a suspect as they continue investigating a violent, unprovoked attack near Lake Arlington earlier this week.
Arlington Heights attack
The backstory:
The aggravated battery happened around 11:15 p.m. Sunday near Windsor Drive and Jonquil circle.
Working with the victim, police forensic artists developed a composite sketch of the suspect. The victim described the attacker as a Black man standing about 6 feet tall with an average-to-muscular build, long braided hair tied back at the time of the incident and round-framed glasses. He was reportedly dressed in all black and was seen riding a bicycle before the attack.
The woman reported she was walking home when she was approached by an unknown man riding a bicycle. Police said the man asked her, "What's your name?" before grabbing her, pushing her to the ground and choking her.
The woman was able to fight off the attacker, run from the scene and flag down the passing motorist, police said.
Investigators also recovered a surveillance image from a nearby business that appears to show a person matching the victim's description riding a bicycle southbound on Buffalo Grove Road from Dundee Road toward the Lake Arlington area around the time of the incident.
Detectives continue to canvass the area for surveillance footage that may have captured the suspect before or after the attack. Because the individual was traveling by bicycle, police are asking residents and businesses beyond the immediate area of the crime scene to review security footage from the late evening hours of Sunday.
What you can do:
Authorities are urging anyone who recognizes the person depicted in the composite sketch or surveillance image to call 911 or contact the Arlington Heights Police Department at 847-368-5300.
Investigators are also encouraging community members to share the images with friends, family members and coworkers in hopes of generating additional leads.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Arlington Heights Police Department.