Docs: Man assaulted Bloomington woman on trail

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Police have arrested a man accused of attacking and pinning a woman down while she was walking on a trail in Bloomington last week.




Manuel Lopez, 38, is facing preliminary charges of Criminal Confinement (Level 5 Felony) and Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury (Class A Misdemeanor).

The investigation began on July 2 when a woman filed a report with the Bloomington Police Department stating Lopez grabbed her by the throat and pinned her down to the ground while she was walking along the B-Line Trail near Rev. Ernest D. Butler Park.




While an officer was en route, another caller reported a man was chasing a woman on the B-Line Trail. As police arrived, court documents show they observed three individuals holding onto the shirt of a male who appeared to match the suspect description.




Police described the woman as being "visibly distraught" after being involved in some kind of physical struggle. The police report indicates the woman suffered scrapes to her arms, legs and neck.




As the officer approached, the group confirmed that the man, identified as Lopez, was the suspect.




The witness told police he was walking from downtown around 10:50 p.m. and walking westbound toward his residence when he heard a woman yell, "Stop, get off me." The witness said he ran toward the sound of the screaming and observed Lopez allegedly on top of the victim and "rolling back and forth on the trail" as she attempted to force Lopez off of her.




The witness said he approached and struck Lopez with a wooden cane he had in his possession. This did not stop Lopez and the witness proceeded to grab the suspect by his collar and force him off the victim.




The witness held Lopez by the collar and kept him there until police arrived, court documents said.




The victim told police that the alleged assault took place after she had visited some downtown bars with friends. She said she was walking back home by herself when she recalled hearing footsteps behind her. It was at that moment that she said Lopez allegedly placed his hands around her throat and impeded her breathing.




The victim reported saying "please don't" to Lopez multiple times as he was allegedly assaulting her. She said Lopez allegedly pushed her to the ground while maintaining his grip on her throat.




"Once on the ground, the male continued to apply pressure to her throat, again making it difficult to breathe," court documents said. The victim recounted that Lopez was reportedly smiling and "staring very intently into her eyes, while he was on top of her.




Previous reporting indicates that this was not Lopez's first time being arrested in Bloomington. He was charged with Sexual Battery (Level 6 Felony) and Attempted Rape (Level 3 Felony) for allegedly attempting to rape a woman in July 2024.




Lopez was placed under arrest and transported to the Monroe County Jail. Online court records do not yet show when Lopez is due to appear for an initial hearing in the case.





via: https://fox59.com/news/docs-man-assaulted-bloomington-woman-on-trail/