Female jogger stabbed repeatedly; suspect flees on bicycle

A 28-year-old woman jogging in Orange County was stabbed multiple times Tuesday night by an attacker who fled on a bicycle, law enforcement said.

The woman was running shortly after 9 p.m. in the small community of Rossmoor when a man came up behind her, knocked her down and stabbed her repeatedly, said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. 

The woman fought back, knocking the knife from the assailant's hand and breaking free from his grasp, but he caught up to her and continued the attack, Amormino said.

The woman suffered stab wounds to her face, arms and hands, the latter apparently as she tried to defend herself, he said.

A resident in the area -- a neighborhood with wide streets and tidy family homes, near the playing fields of an elementary school -- heard the woman's screams and yelled at the attacker, who sped away on a BMX bicycle. 

Amormino said the man was described as being in his early 20s, with a thin build and standing about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9. He was said to be wearing dark clothing and a baseball cap.

The woman was treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and has been released.

The motivation for the attack remains unclear as the investigation continues. The suspect neither attempted to rob the woman nor sexually assault her, although, Amormino said, the woman told investigators the attacker "appeared to be angry."

Those who might have seen the attack or have information are encouraged to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 628-7170.

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-- Rick Rojas