A Rochester Woman’s Warning After Scary Incident Last Night

We got a message from a listener today about a scary encounter she had while on a run last night in Rochester, Minnesota. She wanted to make sure that others knew of the situation, and we agreed.

She was inspired to share her story with us after seeing a story from us about a different runner in a different part of town who was assaulted.

READ MORE: Weekend Assault on Rochester Trail Similar to April Incident

Scary Encounter While on a Run in Rochester, MN

Last night, Tuesday, June 10th, at 9:12 PM, this woman was out for a run. She tells us, "I was running along Viola Drive NE on the bike path heading east towards the water tower."

While on her run, out of nowhere, a vehicle appeared, which she described as a gray four-door that looked like an older Chevy Impala. It pulled across the bike path and stopped 300-400 feet in front of her.

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She then tells us that this person in the car "rolled down his window and shined a flashlight at me. Then he parked his car alongside the grass by the water tower right next to the bike path."

Her gut told her this was a bad situation, and instead of continuing down the path, she turned around to run home instead. As soon as the person in the car noticed, they started to follow her.

I turned around to look as soon as I started running and as soon as the guy saw me, he took off after me in his car. Thank goodness for that roundabout that they just built there. Otherwise I think he probably would’ve got me.

She called 911 about the situation, and Rochester Police took a statement from her (we have confirmation from RPD that she did give them a statement).

She mentioned to us that cops were patrolling the area after her call and that they said they'll be looking for any camera footage, etc., in hopes of getting better identification of the vehicle and license plate, as the runner didn't catch those details in the moment.

If you are out for a run, walk, bike, etc. alone, this is a warning to stay safe and aware of your surroundings, like this person did. It's also not a bad idea to bring pepper spray with you. Taking self-defense classes is also a good idea in case a situation gets out of hand.