Photo: Monarch
It’s really very simple: sexual assault is completely and utterly despicable. No circumstance nor situation makes it otherwise. But there are locales where you would never, ever expect it — and on the slopes of a ski resort mountain is one of those locales.
According to ABC affiliate 9 News in Colorado, “Chaffee County authorities are looking for a man who attempted to sexually assault two women in separate incidents at the Monarch Ski area.” The man (suspected to be a teenage Caucasian male of approximately between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet 1 inch while weighing around 140 pounds) would ride the lift up with the victims before following them down the ski run.
A news release by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s office elaborates: “In both cases the suspect rode the lift with the victims then followed them down the ski run to a point where he then forced them into the trees and tried to sexually assault them. In the second incident, the suspect pulled a handgun and fired the weapon in an attempt to coerce the victim to cooperate.”
Fortunately, both victims escaped. Unfortunately, the attacker also fled the scene before help and local authorities arrived.
“Our ski patrol did receive the reports and contacted law enforcement to address the situation,” Jessie Smith, a spokeswoman for the resort, told the Denver Post. “Here at Monarch we have all our staff aware of who they should be looking for — everyone on staff has their eyes out for this person.”
Although Jennifer Rudolph, a spokeswoman for Colorado Ski County USA, claims that attempted sexual assault is a “very isolated, rare incident,” keep an eye out if you are in the area.
If you see anything or have any information that might lend a hand to the investigation, please contact either Sergeant Andy Rohrich at 719-207-0056 or Detective Claudette Hysjulien at 719-239-1600.
