Police continue to search for the man who sexually assaulted a jogger on Wednesday morning and they are asking West Hartford residents to go out in pairs as the search goes on.
The man grabbed the woman from behind on Fern Street around 6:50 a.m., pulled into bushes and sexually assaulted her, police said. She ran to a neighboring home for help and was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries.
Police believe it was a random attack and neighbors are shaken by what happened this morning in their quiet neighborhood.
The assault happened just blocks from West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka's house.
"I woke up this morning and talked to my wife about it," he said. "It's the kind of thing that shakes you to your core."
Police have not yet released a sketch because the woman remains in the hospital.
Police said the assault appears to be random and they have increase patrols in town and at Morley School, the Whiting Lane School and Bristow Middle School to assure parents that their children are safe.
"We just try to reassure the residents we're doing everything we can to get this criminal and to prevent this from ever happening again, but West Hartford does continue to be an extraordinary safe place," Slifka said.
Police brought in dogs to catch the man's scent and found some evidence near bushes by a house, police said.
They are looking for a thin male, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, wearing a knit cap and a gray sweatshirt. He was described as about 40 years old.
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