June 09, 2016
Source/Google Street View
Schuylkill River Trail at Walnut Street Bridge in Center City Philadelphia.
Philadelphia police are searching for a suspect after a woman was slashed in the forehead Thursday afternoon while exiting the Schuylkill River Trail in Center City.
Authorities confirmed the 24-year-old victim was stabbed at around 3 p.m. on the stairs to the trail near the Walnut Street Bridge.
Medics transported the victim to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where she was initially listed in stable condition and later released after being treated for a three-inch gash to head.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the victim was pursued from behind by an unidentified man in his early twenties. The suspect reportedly said something to the victim before slashing her once with a sharp object.
The victim managed to escape her attacker and seek safety in a nearby building on Walnut Street.
Detectives were reportedly reviewing surveillance footage in search of a suspect described as a black man between 20-25 years old, 6'0'' with an athletic build and facial hair.
The incident comes after a string of recent attacks on the popular 10.5-mile trail. In response to the spike in violence, City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson created a coalition of local advocacy groups, including RUN215 and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, to keep a volunteer Town Watch over the trail.
In addition new mile markers, Johnson is also exploring the possibility of adding additional cameras and emergency call boxes along the trail.
Training for the Schuylkill River Trail Watch began in late April with an anticipated launch during the summer, but Johnson told the Inquirer on Thursday that he would consider deploying the program before the end of June.
An investigation into Thursday's incident is ongoing.
