TACOMA, Wash. — Police are investigating after a woman in Tacoma said she was sexually assaulted at Wapato Hills Park.
Officers said they received a 911 call Sunday around 2 in the afternoon about hearing a woman screaming in the area. When police arrived at the park, they found a woman who said she was walking on a trail when she was sexually assaulted. The Tacoma Fire Department transported the woman to the hospital.
As of Monday afternoon, Tacoma Police said no suspect had been identified or arrested.
The Tacoma Police Department is asking people who live in the area to check their home surveillance cameras for any potential evidence.
"That one person leaving, you know, five minutes after a suspected timeframe, could be that piece that we need to put this all together,” said Officer Shelbie Boyd, with the Tacoma Police Department. “So please, if you know something, if you believe you have footage, let us know."
Metro Parks Tacoma, which runs the park, sent the following statement:
"Our commitment to public safety is unwavering yet Metro Parks Tacoma knows we can’t keep people safe from the actions of others in our parks, or elsewhere. We partner with Tacoma police to patrol the parks and contract with a security firm to respond to after-hours calls and help with enforcement situations. Violence in our community continues to increase, so this year Metro Parks started a Community Safety Initiative to actively assess our security methods to improve response levels and identify improvements."
Sexual violence in Tacoma is something that Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center helps to address on a daily basis. Rebuilding Hope serves survivors of sexual violence in Pierce and Kitsap counties.
“I think there is definitely an underestimation of the sexual violence happening in our communities,” said Christina Lee, the Deputy Director of Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center.
Last fiscal year, Rebuilding Hope helped more than 1,700 sexual violence survivors with services including counseling, legal advocacy, and forensic medical exams.
“Rebuilding Hope staff responds to an average of 10 hospital calls a week,” said Lee. “That is almost two a day, so it is prevalent.”
Lee said it is most common to be sexually assaulted by someone you know, but assaults by strangers do happen. Last year, around 20% of the survivors they assisted were sexually assaulted by strangers. In 2019, she said around 40% were sexually assaulted by strangers.
If you are a survivor of sexual violence, family member, or friend in need of help or assistance, you can contact Rebuilding Hope’s 24-hour Helpline at 1-855-757-7273 to speak with someone.