Humboldt Park Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Woman Running On The 606

LOGAN SQUARE — A woman who was running on The Bloomingdale Trail last week was attacked by an unknown man who tried to sexually assault her, officials said.

The incident took place in the early morning of June 28. The 32-year-old woman was running on the western end of the trail, also known as the 606, near Lawndale Avenue, when the man attacked her from behind, police and prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

Ricardo Colon, 56, who police say lives close to the trail in the 1700 block of North Central Park Avenue, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and bodily harm and appeared in court last week. A judge ordered him to be held in custody until his trial, according to court records.

Colon grabbed the woman and put her into a chokehold, prosecutors said during his detention hearing. She tried to break away from Colon, but he overpowered her and threw her to the ground with his hands still on her neck, prosecutors said, CBS2 Chicago reported.

Colon held the woman down by the neck and collarbone and sexually molested her over her clothes, according to CBS Chicago. Prosectors said once the woman was able to get Colon off her, she followed him, punching and kicking him.

Passersby heard the woman screaming and the commotion, and people were able to chase Colon and hold him until police arrived and arrested him, said Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th), who represents the area and issued a statement about the incident over the weekend.

“I want to share my sincere gratitude to the observers who intervened,” Fuentes said in her statement. “Bystander intervention is one of the most courageous activities we can do when our community members are in harm’s way.”

The woman sustained bruising and cuts and later went to Humboldt Park Health for a check up, police said. She is in good condition, Fuentes said.

In her statement, Fuentes also included hotline information for NAMI Chicago and contact information for the LoSAH mental health center nearby. Survivors or witnesses of sexual assault incidents can call 211 or the Chicago sexual abuse hotline operated by Resilience at 1-888-293-2080.

Prosecutors said the woman was running with her husband on the morning of the attack. Officials said he had run ahead when the attack happened, CBS Chicago reported.

Colon told investigators he initially denied attacking the woman but then admitted to grabbing her when she was tying her shoe, according to CBS Chicago.

Colon also told police he gets “the urge” to touch women’s butts, and said “weird things” happen to him and sometimes he gets confused about whether he’s dreaming, CBS2 reported.

Police found condoms and lubricant on Colon when he was arrested. He said he always carries condoms with him, prosecutors said.

Colon’s criminal history includes a 2001 domestic battery incident, in which he was charged with two counts of bodily harm that involved punching his wife multiple times and pushing her into an alley, according to CBS2 and court records. The charges were later dismissed after his wife failed to appear in court, and the case was dismissed the same year, per court records.

Colon is due back in court July 21, according to court records.