Woman Jogging Near Freeway Pulled Into Ravine and Raped

SANTA CLARITA — A woman jogging along a sparsely populated stretch of Soledad Canyon Road was pulled down a ravine and raped, sheriff’s detectives said Tuesday.

The victim, 36, was attacked at 6:40 p.m. Monday between Poppy Meadow Street and Shadow Pines Boulevard where Soledad Canyon runs parallel to the Antelope Valley Freeway.

Although the street is well-traveled by motorists, foot traffic is minimal and there are few homes in the area, detectives said.

The woman, who told detectives she was training for a long-distance race, said she did know the man who knocked her down from behind and dragged her down an embankment.

“Basically he said, ‘This is what I want and this is what you’re going to do or you’re going to get hurt,’ ” said Sgt. Howard Fairchild. “She . . . didn’t want to get hurt.”

After the assault the woman ran to the nearest residence and called the Sheriff’s Department, Fairchild said.

The victim was treated at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and released.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies described the assailant as a 6-foot-tall, white or Latino man in his late 30s with brown hair and a brown beard. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue hooded sweatshirt.

There have been at least two other sexual assaults in the area in recent weeks, but in each case the physical descriptions of the attackers differed. Fairchild said deputies did not know of any connection between Monday’s attack and the others.

Detectives said a composite sketch of the man will be released today.