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Suspect Arrested in Point Dume Assault
A crime alert posted at the park's entrance | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
A suspect has been arrested in the attempted rape of a jogger at Point Dume Natural Preserve, authorities announced today. DNA evidence led to Christian Marcus Verdin, 31, of San Bernardino.
On March 12th, a female was standing at the edge of a cliff after a jog when Verdin allegedly grabbed her from behind. They struggled for a few minutes before she escaped by jumping down a cliff (see a photo here).
“She fought off her attacker by literally jumping over the cliff and sliding down 200 feet to the beach,” Steve Whitmore, L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. Spokesman, told the LA Times.
Verdin also allegedly stole the victim's vehicle. She was treated for cuts and bruises and released.
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