Man attacks female student in South View

'He slammed my head against a dumpster a few times ...'

A JMU student living in South View apartments was attacked in the parking lot outside her building last Thursday night.

Junior Tamara Hathaway said she was taking out her trash at 8 p.m. when she was attacked from behind by an unknown male. Hathaway said the suspect covered her mouth so she could not scream.

"He slammed my head against the dumpster a few times," she said. The man demanded money from Hathaway. "I reached into my purse to get my wallet, but I got out pepper spray instead.

"He let me go, but as I was running away, he was flailing his arms. He had a knife in his hand and he cut my arm," she said. The cut did not require professional medical attention, she said.

Hathaway said she ran to her apartment, shut and locked the door and called the police. Officers arrived about five minutes later and began searching for the suspect, she said. Hathaway was alone in her apartment — all of her roommates having left on Fall Break.

A Harrisonburg Police Department spokesperson was unavailable for comment as of Wednesday evening.

Hathaway described the suspect as a black male, about 6 feet 3 inches tall, of medium build, about 230 pounds and wearing all-black clothing.

Hathaway said the dumpster where she was attacked is 20 feet from her apartment.

"I haven’t been going outside alone a lot since," Hathaway added.

Anyone with information on this case or similar incidents should contact the HPD at 434-2545.