Woman fires shots after suspect tries to sexually assault her

A woman in Rock Hill [South Carolina] fired shots at an attacker who tried to sexually assault her Monday night, police said. The attack happened before 10 p.m. in the 600 block of AutoMall Parkway just south of Celanese Road near Interstate 77, said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department.

The victim told officers a man wearing a blue hoodie and skinny jeans grabbed her and tried to pull her pants down, Chavis said. The victim told officers she fought back against the suspect as the suspect attempted to pull the woman into nearby woods, Chavis said.

The victim was armed, Chavis said. The victim was able to pull her gun and fire shots that caused the suspect to flee on foot toward Celanese Road, Chavis said. It is unclear if the suspect was hit in the gunfire, Chavis said.

The victim then called police. Patrol officers, detectives, forensic units, and K-9 teams tried to track the suspect but were unable to find him, Chavis said.

Rock Hill police are investigating if Monday’s attack is related to an incident in the same neighborhood where a woman was assaulted by a suspect who exposed himself before fleeing, Chavis said. In that incident on Sept. 8 a different female victim was walking when a young man approached the woman and asked if she wanted to make $50, according to a statement from the police department. The suspect touched the woman’s buttocks and grabbed her as she walked away, police said.