Dog Protects Woman From Sexual Assault in Vista

The 19-year-old woman was allegedly attacked by a stranger while walking her dog on Grapevine Road in Vista on Dec. 5

A man accused of sexually assaulting a young woman in Vista was chased away by the womanโ€™s dog, whose instinct was to protect its owner at all costs.

The San Diego County Sheriffโ€™s Department (SDSO) said the 19-year-old victim was walking her dog in the 700 block of Grapevine Road in Vista Monday at around 6:30 p.m. when an unknown man attacked her from behind.

SDSO Lt. Dan Brislin said the suspect forced the woman to the ground and groped her body.

"This is a concerning situation," Brislin told NBC 7. "It's concerning to law enforcement -- its concerning for the community because obviously its a very brazen act to attack someone in this manner, especially while walking a pit bull."

The woman fought back and called out to her dog for help. Investigators said the dog, a pit bull, began barking and, at one point, may have bitten the man. With the dog on his tail, the man stopped attacking the victim and ran away.

The dog chased after him, the SDSO said. The suspect was last seen running eastbound on Planet Road, with the dog trailing behind him.

A short time later, the dog returned to its owner. The dog was not harmed.

"Everybody looks out for each other so I didn't really think something like that would happen," Good Samaritan Justin Acselrod said.

Acselrod told NBC 7 the victim came to his door for help after the incident.

"She was distraught obviously. She was not really saying a whole bunch accept she was assaulted, you could tell she was obviously upset," Acselrod said.

A neighbor who did not wish to be identified told NBC 7 that the woman said she told her dog to attack the suspect.

"She said, 'I told him to attack and I never taught him that and he did,' the neighbor said. "[The dog] protected her."

Other neighbors expressed their concerns after the incident, saying they believed the area was usually safe.

"Very surprised because it seems like a pretty decent neighborhood but I guess that's happening everywhere," said Jackie Castor, a resident in the neighborhood. "I mean, you know, I think it's happening everywhere." 

At about the time when the attack took place, the street by the alleged sexual assault is not well lit at night. Despite a few spread out street lights, the area in Vista is relatively dark at about 6:30 p.m. when the attack occurred.

Emily DeArmas told NBC 7 that she brought her husband with her on a walk with her dog after she heard about the assault.

"It's a little scary when it is a street you walk everyday," DeArmas said.

The sex assault suspect remains at large. The SDSO said heโ€™s described as a 25-year-old man who stands at approximately 5-foot-6 and weighs 160 to 180 pounds. He wore a dark-colored beanie, a dark-colored hoodie and pants during the assault.

Investigators have praised the victim for bravely fighting off her attacker. Anyone with details on this ongoing case can reach out to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Investigators are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

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