Woman raped by two men in Bellingham park, police say
Police are searching for two men who sexually assaulted a woman Tuesday morning, June 7, in Maritime Heritage Park.
The woman reported she’d walked down Holly Street when she stopped to talk with a white man around her age. They shared cigarettes and talked for “a while,” said Sgt. Mike Scanlon.
At some point, around 6 or 7 a.m., she was shoved to the ground by the man. He and another man sexually assaulted her at a bridge on the outskirts of the park, Scanlon said.
Family took the woman to St. Joseph hospital, where she underwent a sexual assault exam, according to police.
Police declined to release further details as the case remains under investigation.
“My heart goes out to the victim. I am immensely saddened that this happened in our community,” Mayor Kelli Linville said in a press release. “Providing public safety is a core responsibility of the City. I am assembling my leadership team to continue to address public safety in our downtown park.”
Tips can be directed to Detective Sue Howell at 360-778-8682.
Caleb Hutton: 360-715-2276, @bhamcaleb
This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 12:10 PM with the headline "Woman raped by two men in Bellingham park, police say."