Man arrested in attack of woman on Olympia trail

OLYMPIA, Wash. — KIRO 7 cameras captured the scene as handcuffed 21-year-old Daniel Leatherman was walked to a police car after being arrested in the attack of a woman on Olympia's Woodland trail.

Police said the woman was walking with her dog on the popular trail about 9:30 a.m. Monday when Leatherman jumped out of the woods and grabbed the woman.

"A man approached her and dragged her into the bushes, where he proceeded to attack her, but she screamed and fought him off,” said Olympia police spokeswoman Laura Wohl.

Several other walkers on the trail said they had seen Leatherman shortly before the attack and told KIRO 7 he frightened them so they walked the other direction.

Shortly after the attack, a police K-9 unit arrived at the scene and tracked the suspect to an area near a homeless camp in the woods.

"We had visited a homeless camp up in the woods and some people there gave us a name and a person to look for in the area,” said Lt. Jim Costa.

Monday afternoon they found Leatherman, and the victim identified him as the man who attacked and tried to rape her.

"I'm very thankful he's in custody at this point, because he's a very dangerous individual" said Lt. Costa.

Leatherman, who was also wanted on several warrants involving drugs and destruction of property, will make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

The Woodland trail has since been re-opened to the public, but walkers said the attack is a frightening example of the potential dangers of walking alone.

Maria Padukiewicz walks the trail often and said the attack is unnerving.

"It’s kind of scary.  It's a good reason not to walk alone,” said Padukiewicz.

KIRO