SAN ANTONIO — A Southtown woman is warning fellow runners/walkers in the area to be aware of groping, after says she herself was groped during her run Saturday morning along the river.
“It just happened very quickly,” Sara Briseño Gerrish said.
Gerrish was finishing up a nine-mile run near Blue Star when she said she was violated.
“I had a bicyclist get behind me and invade my space,” Gerrish said.
She says she then tried to grab the man and pull him off his bike.
“I don't know what I was thinking. 'What is going to happen?'” Gerrish said. “I just figured there'd be somebody around to actually help me.”
She said she started yelling out: "Call the police!" A couple down the path heard her screams and spotted the man riding away. They ended up calling the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD).
“I was so sweaty. I couldn't call myself even if I wanted to,” Gerrish said. “But they were very helpful and did check to see if I was OK.”
Once she got home, she went on a Southtown Facebook group to warn runners and walkers about the incident.
“When I do run, I don't run with AirPods. That way I can hear somebody coming up behind me,” she said. “I don't run at night anymore, just out of safety.”
Gerrish said she is hoping this was an isolated incident since she has always felt safe running along the river.
“I just wanted other people who are in the area, if they’re by themselves, that they are just aware of these kinds of things,” Gerrish said.
The Road Runners Club of America suggests keeping these tips in mind:
- Make sure you plan your routes with safety in mind.
- Consider running or walking with a group.
- Get self-defense training.
- Call police if something happens.
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