A female runner says a man came up behind her and groped her on Friday morning in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. Now Seattle police say they are aware of the possibility of a second case in the same area involving another victim.
Maria Ball is the runner who came forward first.
"I'm training for the New York marathon, and so I had to run 16 miles on Friday morning," said Ball.
She started around 6 a.m. on a run that eventually took her along Ravenna Boulevard. She says the attack happened after she crossed Northeast 62nd Street.
"This man came up behind me, and he grabbed my chest, and he grabbed underneath my legs, my crotch. In that moment when he grabbed my chest, I have never been so scared in my entire life," she said.
She says she shoved her elbows into the man's ribs and screamed as loud as she could.
"All I knew was my voice was my most powerful weapon," said Ball.
She was able to get people's attention.
"There was a woman in her car. I will never forget the moment I made eye contact with her. I told her, I need help. I need help now," said Ball.
She says her attacker took off, and a neighbor attempted to chase him.
Seattle police are investigating.
"If all you can learn to do is really project a strong voice, you are going to be a little bit safer," said Donna Miles, founder of Hard Target Living.
A decade ago, Miles was the one in a bad situation.
"My first husband and I were asleep in our bedroom at 3 a.m. and woke up to an armed intruder," said Miles.
Back then, in July 2008, they told KING 5 about the attack.
"He punched me several times," Miles said. "I don't know if he hit me with a gun or his fists."
They fought back and prevailed, but Miles had to heal from more than just bruises.
"I was mad that it happened, and I was determined that it would never happen again," said Miles.
It's why she started Hard Target Living. She made it her mission to learn safety skills.
"If you are not paying attention to where you are in the moment, then anybody can get up close," said Miles.
She teaches classes on how to deter and detect criminal activity and dangerous environments. Miles tells her students, "it is never any victim's fault."
She says there are things people can do to maintain situational awareness. She does not recommend running or walking with two earbuds in, because you may not hear someone approaching.
"Get your faces out of your phones so that you are always in the current moment," said Miles. "If I'm out running, and it's dark or even semi dark, I have my flashlight on, and I use it like I am looking for somebody up ahead."
In Ball's case, she was wearing a headlamp and a safety vest. She credits her gear for helping neighbors spot her when she screamed. Seattle police say she did a fantastic job.
"It's just terrifying, because he's lurking in your shadows in that Ravenna neighborhood," said Ball. "I just would hate for this to happen to somebody else."
From now on Ball says she is going to run as much as she can in a group setting.
