Dallas police are searching for a man who attacked a female jogger Wednesday afternoon.
Gabriela Monjaras, 23, said she was running in the area of Stoneleigh Avenue and Crestview Street just east of the Dallas North Tollway when she spotted a man walking toward her on the sidewalk.
She said it was about noon, so she didn't think much of the man until she started to run past him.
"As soon as I passed, that's when he turned around and started grabbing at me," she said.
"Cut my lip," she said. "I just started fighting him off and screaming for help."
Monjaras said the man scratched her repeatedly, grabbing at her arms and pulling on her.
When she kept fighting back, the man grabbed her headphones and took off running to a nearby parked sport utility vehicle.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"I didn't cry until I got across the street and I was bleeding from my lip. I called my roommate and then started crying because I was like, 'Oh my God. I can't believe this just happened. I got attacked while I was jogging,'" she said.
Monjaras described the man as Hispanic, in his late 20s or early 30s, wearing a red plaid short-sleeved shirt, jeans and driving a white Chevrolet Tahoe.
She's not sure if he was looking to steal her belongings, or worse.
"Who knows. His intent could've been to grab me and drag me and put me in his car. Then, I'm gone, you know," she said shaking her head.
"When I think about it more, I think he was coming from this way, saw me jogging and parked right here," she said pointing to the intersection of Stoneleigh and Crestview.
"He got out of his car, started walking and waiting for me to pass," Monjaras said.
Monjaras said she wants what happened to her to be a warning for other runners.
"I think what helped me out is my guard is always up with stuff like that," Monjaras said. "You always have to keep your eye out for people like that."
