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Police increase patrols after incidents on Brandermill walking trails

Posted at 3:57 PM, Oct 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-29 17:15:16-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Chesterfield Police plan to step up patrols around Brandermill following two incidents involving women on neighborhood walking trails. The incidents also prompted the president of the Brandermill Neighborhood Association to send an email alert to the community. In both incidents, the women reported a suspicious person emerging from the woods in Brandermill onto trails.

The first incident happened at 6 a.m. on October 5, but was not reported until the October 6, according to police. Police said a woman was walking on a path in Brandermill when another person, who was possibly male, stepped out of the woods onto the path. The woman fled the area.

Brandermill warning

Brandermill

Then on Monday, October 26 around 3:45 p.m., police said they received a call reporting a suspicious person in the area of Sunday Park in Brandermill. A woman who made that report asked to remain anonymous for her safety.

"I got that eerie feeling," the woman said as she described walking down one of the trails at Sunday Park where she heard noises behind her. "I finally just stopped and turned around to look and ease my mind a bit. That’s when I saw him to the left of me in the woods behind the tree."

The woman said when she started to run away,  she could hear him running after her. She eventually found a maintenance worker who urged her to call police.

"I don’t see why somebody would hide behind trees and follow you on a trail if he wanted to do something nice," she said.

Neighborhood association leaders reminded neighbors to be "mindful and alert about their surroundings" and said it had "no information to indicate that an assault or attack actually occurred, or that personal harm came to any individual."

"Should you ever feel threatened for whatever reason, please get yourself to safety as quickly as possible and call the police," the letter continued. "It is also imperative that you actually speak to the responding officer so that all possible details are relayed to assist the police in their investigation."

The email alert was sent after reporter Melissa Hipolit began investigating the incidents which came in as news tips to WTVR CBS 6.

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