Tulsa Police Look For Man Who Raped Woman At Lafortune Park

A female jogger was sexually assaulted at LaFortune Park early Thursday morning. 

Tulsa Police say the 19-year-old was running between 6 and 6:30 a.m. when a man approached her, knocked her down and assaulted her. 

LaFortune Park-- located between 51st and 61st Streets South--is one of Tulsa's treasures. The crime scene tape marks where it became a 19-year-old woman's terror.

"She's one of those six-day-a-week joggers. She knows her routes. She usually takes her routes. She knows what time she should make," said Tulsa Police Detective Rod Russo.

The woman told officers she encountered an extremely intoxicated stranger on the trail.

"This individual chases her down, knocks her to the ground and sexually assaults her," said Officer Leland Ashley.

"There are people out there who are predators. They look for a way to take advantage of you. He took advantage of her because of an isolated area," Russo said.

Officers combed the neighborhood, talked to people on the trail and surveyed the park by helicopter hoping to track down the attacker.

"That is pretty shocking. You think of LaFortune as so well-traveled with joggers, runners, walkers," said parkgoer Nancy Morgan.

Women walking the trails say it makes them reconsider their safety at this park.

"It scares you. It scares you," said Jennifer Phillips.

"If I'm by myself I usually have my pepper spray with me," said Andrea, parkgoer.

Tulsa Police say the victim did nothing wrong but we can all learn from her nightmare.

"Especially when you're running in the morning when there's nobody out and about - have a partner. Even in the evenings. I know on the river trails you'll see people running at dark, at nine or ten o'clock at night. It's not smart," Russo said.

Police tell News On 6 there were no witnesses to the assault. The woman is being treated at a Tulsa hospital. 

Tulsa Police have a pretty generic description of the suspect: an African American man in his late 20s, about six feet tall and clean shaven. At the time, he was wearing a black beanie hat, baggy black clothing and a brown or tan jacket.

Police ask anyone who recognizes the man's description to call Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.