Two women sexually assaulted in park near Concrete



CONCRETE, Wash. -- A small Skagit County community is on edge after two women were sexually assaulted in a local park. The assaults happened less than a week apart in the Cape Horn neighborhood near the town of Concrete.

Deputies have already beefed up patrols around this park, and neighbors in this tiny community are keeping a watchful eye on anything that looks suspicious.

“I’m worried that I send my 11-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter over there and something happens to her,” said Dan Shaefer, who lives near the park.

The two attacks happened on different nights – one on Dec. 20 and the second on Dec. 26.

“It could be somebody that lives here, or someone that was here for a short period of time, we don’t know,” said Deputy Chief Chad Clark with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. “We have about a one-week window that we’re really trying to concentrate on. “

One victim was so shaken after the assault that she ended up accidentally shooting herself in her arm while trying to shoot the attacker when she thought she saw him outside of her home one week later. That's when she told police what happened to her.

“She actually fired a weapon out her window, thinking the person was coming back to her house a week later,” said Clark. “She described a person she thought had a mask on. We responded to that and she actually shot herself in the arm, and we didn’t locate anyone at that time.”

Each woman told police their attacker was a man about six feet tall, weighing anywhere from 220 to 250 pounds and that he was wearing dark clothing during both attacks.

Police are calling both assaults isolated incidents – but for those living in Cape Horn, they won’t rest until a suspect is behind bars.

There is a working security camera at the park but unfortunately it’s pointed away from where the assaults happened.

Police hope evidence currently being reviewed at a crime lab will help them narrow their search for a suspect – and soon.