ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Over a week ago, a woman was attacked while on a run in the Metroparks. While the suspect remains at large, the Metroparks police chief insists the parks are still safe as the investigation continues.
Hannah Tansey is a regular runner at Rocky River Reservation.
“It's beautiful, especially when the foliage changes,” said Tansey.
But after hearing Vani Shukla’s story, Tansey’s taking extra precautions. In fact, she even posted on Instagram that she now runs with her boyfriend, who also serves as her bodyguard.
“Definitely a little scary. I've definitely adjusted some of the things that I do with my runs, “ Hannah continued, “ I feel a little... a little unsafe, you know. I’m a good runner, but you never know what's out there.”
Mike Clark visits the reservation five to six times a week and says he’s not overly concerned, but still urges caution.
“I told my daughters, just— you always have to be aware of your surroundings,” said Clark.
The concern among some park goers comes after Vani Shukla told police she was attacked at the Rocky Reservation Saturday, Sept. 6, while on a 20-mile run. She said she was grabbed from behind and strangled until she fell unconscious.
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“Her description of this male was an unknown race, taller than 5’8’, wearing dark clothing and possibly a hooded sweatshirt,” said Metro Parks Police Chief Kelly Stillman.
The incident occurred just after 8:30 p.m., along the all-purpose trail between Brookway and the Rocky River Nature Center.
Stillman noted that this case is unique compared to other recent investigations due to several factors: it was dark, Shukla was alone, and initially, there was very little evidence.
“This one happened with just the victim and somebody we don't know, whereas all the other ones that we've had there were witnesses. They stuck around. They helped us gather evidence. Gave us good witness statements,” said Chief Stillman.
Despite the lack of witnesses, detectives were able to gather evidence confirming an altercation had taken place.
“We were able to collect some physical evidence on the scene and recovered DNA,” the chief continued, “what really helped us out was her electronic device or cell phone. We used her GPS and a big app that runners use, Strava, clearly indicated where she was at and at what time.”
Metroparks Police are still waiting on DNA lab results and have several individuals they plan to interview. They're hopeful that these leads will bring them closer to identifying the person responsible.
Stillman added that patrols in the parks have been increased, and other security measures—which cannot be disclosed publicly—are also in place.
“Yes, this did happen, but the parks are safe. We have a great police department (with) over 100 officers that are fully committed. We have a great detective bureau,” said Stillman.
Stillman shared several safety tips for anyone visiting the parks—especially runners:
- Keep your GPS/location services turned on
- Run with a friend or in a group
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Let someone know your route and expected return time
“You got to be cognizant of your surroundings. You know, the park is huge. There are going to be times where you're going to be the only one out there. Just understand what's going around in your surroundings,” said Stillman.
