A D.C. woman who was assaulted Friday morning isnโt worried as much about finding the assailant as she is about finding the dog that got away from her during the attack.
Beth Kemler was walking her friendโs dog Murray -- a beagle mix -- and her two dogs in the 600 block of I Street Northeast when Murray barked at a jogger. The jogger began yelling, claiming heโd been bitten, Kemler said.
The dog escaped from his collar and ran along Sixth Street to L Street with the jogger chasing him.
โHeโs yelling at me, โIโm gonna get that dog. Whatโs your phone number? Tell me your phone number,โโ Kemler said.
At L Street, he picked up a metal bicycle fender, which Kemler believes he intended to use to beat the dog, News4โs Pat Collins reported, but Murray escaped on L Street.
At that point, the man grabbed Kemler and touched her inappropriately, she said.
โHe started grabbing me in sexual places and dragging me in the street,โ Kemler said. โHe actually bruised my arm.โ
He left her alone when she started yelling for help.
The incident unfolded in view of a crime camera, Kemler said. Police are looking for the jogger.
Kemler set up a Facebook page to help find the dog. https://www.facebook.com/FindMurray
โPeople keep asking me how I am, and I say, โIโm fine. Donโt worry about me,โโ she said. โI want to find Murray. Thatโs all I care about.โ