Woman says she fought off attacker in southeast Harris County park

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A woman says she was attacked and nearly sexually assaulted at a hike and bike trail in southeast Harris County. She says she escaped only because she fought back.

"It was a little bit later than what I usually do, when I go bike riding."

But this lady, who only wanted to be identified as Sandy, was determined to get her exercise in Saturday evening. She decided to take a bike ride just before dusk at the Clearbrook City Park Bike and Hike Trail.

"I like things outdoors and sports," she said.

But the woman never imagined she would have a ride like the one she had Saturday.

"It just happened so fast,"'she said.

She says a strange man approached her on his bike and started speaking Spanish.

"I wasn't sure what he was saying, but I pretty much knew he was flirting with me and I was telling him go ahead because I'm just trying to ride my bike. Then he started reaching towards me and trying to grab me and then all of a sudden he just pushes me up my bike," she explained.

The man got on top of Sandy and began trying to pull her pants off.

But Sandy wouldn't go down without a fight.

"I was fighting for my life, fighting for my life. He threw a lot of punches at me, very hard punches," she said.

But the woman had taken self-defense classes so she landed some punches too.

"I was punching I was kicking and I was screaming, 'Help me! Help me!'" she described.

She fought so hard and screamed so loud her attacker gave up..

"He got back on his bike and took off. It's not safe out here for women right now," she warned.

Her faced is bruised and her eye is blackened and swollen, but her spirit is not broken.

"I'm just thankful that I'm still here, because to be honest, I could be dead right now and you know I'm just gonna keep on living I'm not gonna let him slow me down and scare me," she said.

The woman described her attacker as a think Hispanic man between the ages of 20-25. A neighbor's home surveillance camera captured the attacker. That video has been turned over to investigators.