FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A Fort Collins woman was desperately seeking help after she was allegedly assaulted in Lee Martinez Park but said she was able to escape after her dog intervened.
On Sunday night, Fort Collins Police arrested a man from Boulder on charges of assault strangulation and unlawful sexual contact.
Officers responded to a suspicious circumstance report after 911 dispatchers got a call from a woman who was crying and telling a man to get off her. Guided by the woman's phone, officers located her near the center of Lee Martinez Park.
When officers arrived, they said the victim directed them to the suspect, who was trailing behind her in the park. She told them she had been fighting him off for 20 minutes, until her dog bit the suspect in the face, allowing her to escape.
“The officers involved were surprised by the dog's behavior and gave a great kudos to his intervention,” said J Gilmore, the director of communications for Fort Collins Police.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody without resistance. Following his apprehension, he received medical treatment for his dog bite injuries at Poudre Valley Hospital.
The victim had no prior relationship with the suspect, according to police.
He is currently being held at the Larimer County Jail and was booked on the following charges:
- Second-degree assault strangulation - Felony
- Unlawful sexual contact with force or threat - Felony
- False imprisonment by force - Felony
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