The Surest Sign Spring Has Returned to Reston: Perverts on the Paths

What was it that Chaucer said about spring? "Whan that Avril with his shoorez soteeh/Perverts return to the pathes in Reston." Sorry, it sounds better in Middle English. But this fancy "electronic mail" has been making the rounds this morning:

Please share this email with anyone who uses the Reston paths.

I was on a walk last night about 7pm. I started at the basketball courts, behind Hunting Horn, near the beaver area and went right, towards Twin Branches. There were lots of families, dog walkers and runners on the path at the time. I saw many people, including a young woman about my age walking alone, like me.

I walked up the path and when I got to the bridge that crosses the Glade Stream I stopped for a little bit to watch the birds. While I was there I saw man sitting on the bench a little ways down the path. He was sitting on the bench with a hand in his pocket. Then he was picking up his legs as if stretching and moving around like he had been running. I left the bridge and as I passed him I said hello. He said hello back and I kept going.

A few minuets later the man jogged by me and went up around the bend. Very soon after that the young woman woman whom I had seen walking earlier came walking towards me and asked to use my phone to call the police. She said that the man who had been on the bench had run up behind her and told her "she shouldn't have left" and that he had been "masturbating" while watching her.

This man was in his mid 30's, athletic build, about 5' 7" or 5' 8", light skinned black with tattoos on his legs.
He was wearing a light grey or blue baseball hat, wire glasses, a black athletic shirt, silver and blue shorts down to the knee, and running shoes.

We met the police at the intersection of Glade and Twin Branches and filed a report with Officer Rocco.
He and two other officers went down the hiking trail across Twin Branches to see if the guy was still around.
I do not know if they were able to identify the man.

I think we all could use the reminder that although we live in a generally safe area it is always important to keep safety in the back of our minds. Travel with a buddy when possible and always bring a phone.

Regardless of the details of this incident, that's always good advice.