Maple Grove police are searching for a man who assaulted a woman inside the Elm Creek Park Reserve on Sunday morning and are asking for the public’s help finding him.
Officers were called around 8:30 a.m. on August 30 after a woman reported she had been assaulted inside the park, according to the Maple Grove Police Department. The woman said an unknown man forced her to the ground and placed a shirt over her mouth before running away on foot.
Police described the suspect as a heavy-set Hispanic man in his 30s, wearing bright blue shorts and no shirt, who may have been carrying a grey shirt.
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Officers from several agencies searched the area but did not find him, police said, and the investigation is still active.
Police asked anyone who was in the area at the time or who has information to call 911 or the department’s non-emergency line at 952-258-5321.
The Three Rivers Public Safety Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Dayton and Champlin police departments and the Hennepin County Crime Lab are assisting.
Police said additional patrols are in the area and asked park users to stay aware of their surroundings, report suspicious activity to 911, and consider walking or running with a companion.
