Lake Avenue rape

Cleveland police released this still photograph taken from surveillance footage showing a man attack a woman jogger about 5:25 a.m. Tuesday on West 104th Street near Lake Avenue.

(Courtesy of Cleveland Division of Police)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Residents jogging and couples walking their dogs along Lake Avenue Monday were stunned to learn of the Sept. 2 attack and rape of a women that happened there a week ago.

Cleveland police released the first details about the attack Monday afternoon.

One woman, who lives a block from the site attack and is involved in neighborhood groups, said she wished she had learned about the incident sooner.

"It's pretty terrifying that this happened last week and it's been six days and I haven't heard anything about it," the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "We should have had the information that it happened so that people like me that walk everyday in this neighborhood know to be a little more careful."

A woman was out on her morning jog at 5:25 a.m. Sept. 2. As she walked past a high-rise apartment building on West 104th Street south of Lake Avenue, a man tackled her from behind. He dragged her between two cars, punched her and struck her several times with a pistol.

He dragged the woman behind an apartment building and raped her, police said.

Police spokeswoman Det. Jennifer Ciaccia said the department needed time to research where surveillance cameras were located, find video of the incident and interview the victim before it released the footage.

Police released surveillance footage that captured the initial attack Monday, hoping the footage could spur tips on the identity of the assailant. It can be viewed on the department's YouTube channel (Disclaimer: some viewers may find the footage disturbing. The footage depicts the initial attack, and does not show the actual rape).

"It's especially disturbing because this is a neighborhood where it's not uncommon for females to go out jogging," Det. Michael Monctezuma, of the Cleveland police department's sex crimes unit said.

Monctezuma said so-called "stranger rapes" are far less common than rapes where the attacker knows the victim.

"Once we do get them, we give it a lot of attention," Monctezuma said.

Jean Shoemaker, who moved to Cleveland last year, said she was horrified to learn of the crime. News of the attack will make her more vigilant about her safety.

"There's a lot of people running around here by themselves," Shoemaker said as she walked her small terrier. "Maybe people should pair up, or more police. I don't know. The world's becoming a very scary place."