RICHMOND, Va. — Police are searching for a 23-year-old Richmond man who is accused of choking and assaulting a woman in Shockoe Bottom last month.
Richmond Police said the incident happened on March 26. Officers were called to area of North 19th Street around 11:30 p.m. for a report of an assault.
When officers arrived, they found a woman who had been injured by a man she didn't know in an alley off of North 19th. She told police she was walking in the area when she was strangled and struck, seriously injuring her leg.
A Good Samaritan somehow interrupted the attack and the suspect walked away, police said.
Tips from the public helped lead detectives to determine Ladell Holmes as the suspect. The attack was also caught on surveillance cameras of a nearby business.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Holmes is asked to contact Major Crimes at (804) 646-6741 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones also may be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.
Nearby business owners and people who live in the area said they often see Holmes hanging out along East Broad Street. They said he may be wearing a ski mask.
Sgt. Anthony Catoggio with RPD Major Crimes and their Aggravated Assault Division spoke to reporters outside of their West Grace Street headquarters. He described the attack based on the surveillance video.
"You see the victim is just walking, and you see the suspect coming up behind, and just a violent assault takes place after that," Catoggio explained. "The suspect did strangle the victim and he did severely injure her leg."
Detectives ask the public not to engage with Holmes if seen, but to call 911 instead.
"We are stressing if you see him in that area or any area in the city, please do not approach him. Please call 911. Give a good clothing, description and direction of travel. Do not approach because like I said, this was just a random attack we believe and we definitely want to get him to custody," Catoggio noted.
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