Have You Seen this Man? Suspect Sought in Summerville Sexual Assault

Summerville Police have released a sketch of the suspect sought in Wednesday's sexual assault of a teenager along Sawmill Branch Canal in Summerville.

The suspect is young, possibly a teenager himself. He's described as being between 16 and 18 years old, 5-foot 7-inches and 180 pounds. On the day of the incident, the suspect was wearing a camouflage jacket and blue jeans. 

According to a Summerville Police incident report, a 17-year-old girl was sexually assaulted Wednesday as she was running along the pedestrian and cyclist trail, just south of the Bacons Bridge Road near the SCE&G power station. The suspect allegedly smacked her rear end while she was running and he was riding a bicycle. The victim ignored it and continued running.

Later, the suspect allegedly hit her with the bicycle and then punched her three times. He allegedly dragged her into the nearby woods, and held a knife to her neck. The victim was described as bloodied by witnesses. 

According to the incident report, a man interrupted the sexual assault, causing the assailant to run off. The victim ran off too, half dressed across Bacons Bridge Road. She drove home and filed the report with her father. 

If you can identify the suspect, contact Summerville Police at 843-871-2463.