Authorities in Harris County who had launched a search for a man who attacked a woman along a Houston greenway have made an arrest in the case. The assault took place along White Oak Bayou in the Inwood area, where the woman had been out walking before she was set upon by a stranger who, officials say, tried to sexually assault and drown her.
According to the Precinct 1 Constable's Office, the man attempted to sexually assault the woman and to drown her during the attack. It was an ordeal that could easily have turned deadly, unfolding in a stretch of bayou that many residents use for exercise and recreation.
The woman, however, managed to save herself. Officials say she fought back against her attacker, broke free and escaped, then made her way to Precinct 1 deputies to report what had happened. Her account has become the basis for the search now unfolding across the area.
Investigators had initially released a description of the man they were trying to find, saying he was a black male missing his front teeth who was seen with a bike and a black backpack. Those details, along with the victim's account, helped guide the search that followed in the hours after the attack.
The struggle may also have left the suspect with identifying marks. The victim told authorities that she believes she injured one of his eyes and pulled his hair as she fought to get away, potentially leaving visible signs that could aid in identifying him.
The search did not last long. The Precinct 1 Constable's Office says the man was taken into custody roughly six hours after the attack, with the assault reported around 6:30 and the suspect in custody by about 12:30. Officials identified him as 19-year-old Jacoby Fusiller, who they say lived in the area and had been riding around on his bike when he was caught.
Investigators credited technology with the swift arrest, saying they used drone footage and other tools to track the suspect down. Officials noted that Fusiller was already known to them, having previously been arrested and convicted of stealing a firearm. They added that they are working with other law enforcement partners to determine whether he could be linked to other cases, including reports from the previous year of a man on a bike accused of sexually assaulting women elsewhere along the bayou.