Burlington, Vermont - September 10, 2009
It's a busy road in Burlington with traffic flowing through the city into Winooski -- but Wednesday night, Colchester Avenue was the scene of an assault and attempted abduction.
"I don't know what this man's intent was if he was to get her in the vehicle, I don't have those answers yet," said Lt. Art Cyr, of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations.
That's why the police are asking for the public's help. Authorities say a woman in her mid-20s was walking home alone at about 9:20 p.m. Wednesday when a man tried to force her into a truck. A camera inside a passing CCTA bus captured the vehicle on tape.
"It appears to be a Chevrolet or GMC model pickup truck, quad cab, light in color, with duel wheels, flared-out rear fenders and there was also a ladder rack in the back of the vehicle," said Lt. Cyr.
The victim managed to escape thanks to a nearby neighbor who heard the woman scream.
"My adrenaline was just worried about the girl, I didn't care about the guy," said Rebecca Shipley, of Burlington. "He grabbed her mainly in the front trying to put the girl into his vehicle. She basically put up a fight, she wasn't gonna go quietly," Shipley said.
The suspect is described as being heavy set, in his mid-40s, with a receding hairline.
Authorities say safety should be a priority for everyone following this incident.
"Everybody needs to be on their toes, be aware of what's going on, be safe in your surroundings, don't go out alone for a while," Lt. Cyr said.
That message was slowly spreading through the UVM campus Thursday night. Most of the students WCAX spoke to had not heard about the attack and were shocked to learn about it.
"That's really scary like you hear about stuff like that but I don't know it just kind of seems like it won't happen," said UVM Freshman, Erin Eudete Greene. "Then it does and it's just kind of like a slap in the face."
Greene said she prefers to wait for the shuttle to drive her back to her dorm rather than walk back to Trinity Campus, which is off of Colchester Avenue.
"It's a pretty busy road and there are a lot of sketchy houses," she said.
While some students do not have a problem walking alone on campus during they day, they say the constant message of safety keeps them from doing it at night.
"I've only been here for a little over a week and my mom is always reminding me to be with like friends, never walk back alone," said Erin Minella, also a UVM Freshman.
Police are asking anyone who may have been in the area or who knows anything about the truck in question to contact them. If you have information call -- 802-540-2113
Beth Parent - WCAX News
