Reward offered for information on suspect in Hopkins trail assault

Hopkins police have released video and photos of a man they say assaulted a woman on a popular trail last week.

Around 7 p.m. on June 10, a female pedestrian was near Lake Street Northeast and Tyler Avenue North when a teenager on his bicycle approached her.

Surveillance video from a doorbell camera shows the suspect grabbing the woman from behind. The woman told police she headed toward the popular Cedar Lake Trail to get away from him. The teen followed her onto the trail north of Second Street Northeast and east of Highway 169.

"He ends up grabbing her and doing another… attempted sexual act on her before she screamed," said Sgt. Michael Glassberg with the Hopkins Police Department.

The suspect is described as being a Black teenager around 16-17 years old with a 2-3 inch afro-style haircut. He was wearing a light blue tie-dye shirt and light blue shorts, police said.

The teenager was last seen riding his darker-colored BMX-style bicycle north on the trail in the direction of Highway 7.

The news was surprising to people who live in the neighborhood, including Edith Mussukuia, who said she uses the trail often.

"Unless I see other people, I wouldn’t go there by myself," she said after learning of the assault.

The Hopkins Police Department’s Crime Prevention Board is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can provide information about the teenager, in an effort to identify the young man in the videos.

"We obviously take these things very seriously and that’s why we’re releasing the video and the photo because we would like to apprehend this individual," Glassberg said.

Anyone who has information about the suspect or this case is encouraged to call 911 and ask to speak with Hopkins Police.