Police said barking dogs may have spooked a man who sexually assaulted a woman at knifepoint in Saugus Tuesday evening.

A woman told authorities that she had been running with her dog on Nason Road when a man came up behind them, grabbed her hair and pushed her into a tree. The assailant told her that he had a knife and ordered her not to scream.

The attacker groped the woman and punched her in the face, prompting her dog to bark. The commotion reportedly caused other nearby dogs to bark, which may have prompted the man to flee, police said.


The victim told investigators the tall, thin man was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt, dark pants that were possibly jeans and clean white sneakers. He was also wearing cologne.

Anyone with information is asked to call Saugus Police at (781) 941-1199 or their anonymous tip line at (781) 231-4037.