Police: Recent Reported Assault on Holmes Run Trail Never Occurred

Alexandria police say a reported assault Nov. 17 on the Holmes Run Tail near Duke Street never happened.

The sexual assault was reported this week by The Washington Post. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said he spoke with the staff member who compiled the report, who said she received it from crimereports.com.

However, a second search of that website did not list any such attack, Donaldson said in an email, leading him to believe there was a glitch in the computer system. The incident might have been confused with another report around the same time of a person being drunk in public at a 7-Eleven at 2 S. Jordan St., Donaldson said.

During that incident, about 9 a.m. an intoxicated man inappropriately touched a woman at the store. Tewodros Markos, 25, of Alexandria was charged with being drunk in public and sexual battery, Donaldson said. 

Several months ago, two women reported being attacked on the popular West End trail. No arrests have been made in those cases.