Local News

Woman, girl report separate sexual assaults along the Charles River in Waltham

Massachusetts State Police confirmed it is investigating both assaults.

updated on October 26, 2022

A woman and a girl recently reported separate assaults along the Charles River in Waltham, Massachusetts State Police said.

The girl reported being grabbed from behind, pushed against a tree, raped, and indecently assaulted while walking near the Elm Street entrance to the Riverwalk on the night of Sept. 14, according to state police. She had been walking with friends earlier in the evening but was alone at the time of the attack, police clarified.

The girl told police she did not turn around to look at her assailant, who reportedly fled when he thought he heard someone approaching. She said she heard what sounded like the assailant getting on a bicycle and riding away.

On Oct. 20, a 37-year-old woman told police she was running on the Riverwalk bike path near Prospect Street and Crescent Street when a man approached her from behind and touched her twice.

“He did it twice in a 30-minute span so if he didn’t do it to me again, he would’ve just done it to someone else,” she told CBS Boston.

She described the man, who was riding a bicycle, as either a white or Hispanic man of average height and build, possibly in his 20s or 30s. He was wearing an orange hoodie, she said.

Whether the same person committed both assaults remains part of the ongoing investigation, state police said. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call state police detectives at 617-740-7544.

The Waltham Police Department said the two reported assaults fall under state police jurisdiction, as the Charles River Reservation is a state park.

Waltham police said they have assisted and will continue to assist with the investigations as needed, and have added extra police patrols to the Riverwalk area. State police also said they have increased visibility in the area, and advised visitors to be aware of their surroundings, stay in well-lit areas if possible, carry a cell phone, and call 911 if they feel threatened or observe suspicious activity.

The state’s Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) did not respond to a request for comment on whether the agency is considering lighting and safety improvements in that area.