EVERETT -- A woman was out for a walk early Sunday morning when a man attacked her, but she fought him off. Police arrested the suspect short time later.



The attack happened around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Melanie Allen was walking her dog when a man came up behind her and tried to pick her up and tried to take her behind a convenient store.



" pushed him with this hand and hit him in the face with that hand and I think that's why he took off, he didn't expect me to fight back," Melanie said.



She believed her attacker was trying to rape her.



"My life flashed between my eyes, am I going to get through this? Yes, I am. I have a son and I am not dying and I'm not going to be raped, that's not gonna happen to me," Melanie said.









The man walked off and Melanie followed him for nearly half a mile. While following she tried calling police from her cell phone, but it was dead. She stopped by nearby stores and called 9-1-1.



The suspect tried to escape and find a place to hide. Police said he broke into two homes and eventually kicked in the front door of a third home.



"I actually watched him kick in the door of this house and I was really afraid for who was inside the house because I knew the guy didn't live there," Melanie said.



Police said a couple was home asleep when the suspect kicked in the door.



Q13 FOX News spoke with the homeowners who said they didn't have any idea he was inside until police ordered him out. They never saw him inside and weren't hurt.



After police surrounded the house, the man came out.



Melanie is thrilled to have the man off the streets.



"I said 'you are not getting away with this' and when I went to ID him, I said, 'I told you! You were not gonna get away with this!'" Melanie said.



The suspect faces assault and trespassing charges.