BLOOMINGTON — A Bloomington man was arrested for attempted rape after following a woman around in a wooded area of Bloomington.
The Bloomington Police Department was dispatched to the 1000 block of East Hillside Drive on a report of a female screaming, “Get off me” and “Help” from a wooded area.
Officers rushed to the scene and found the female victim.
On Monday, July 15, a woman told police she was walking south on Woodlawn Avenue toward Hillside Avenue when she saw a male, 37-year-old Manuel Lopez, walking in the opposite direction. The man turned and began following her.
The woman told police she didn’t know Lopez and told him to stop following her. She said Lopez appeared to be intoxicated.
After she turned onto Huntington Drive, she told police Lopez grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Lopez allegedly then got on top of the woman and began assaulting her. The woman told police she scratched Lopez’s face with her nails, punched him, and bit his arm to try to get away.
Two bystanders told police they saw Lopez following the woman and could see he was making her uncomfortable. They circled back and found Lopez on top of the woman, fighting to get him off of her.
The two bystanders intervened, and Lopez fled.
A few moments later, officers received a second phone call about a male who matched the description of Lopez, attacking a different female on the 100 block of East Miller Drive.
The woman told police Lopez spoke to her, saying “looked good,” while he was rubbing his crotch. She told him she would kick him if he got any closer.
She was able to get away and call the police.
Police were able to locate Lopez a short time later near the Walnut Street entrance to Switchyard Park.
According to court documents, he appeared very drunk and had fresh scratch marks on his face. Lopez denied any involvement in the assaults, claiming the scratches came from a man at Kroger. Police noted in their report that Lopez had grass clippings on his pants, consistent with the accusations of one of the women.
Both women positively identified Lopez as their attacker.
Lopez was detained on felony charges of attempted rape, sexual battery, and criminal confinement and was transported to the Monroe County Jail.
