Photos show man suspected of attacking 2 women along Canal Towpath Trail in Frederick County: NPS

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. - The National Park Service has released a photo of a man they say attacked two women along a popular Frederick County trail.

The attacks happened earlier this month on the Canal Towpath Trail.

On March 6, rangers say a woman reported being assaulted by a man on the trail near Point of Rocks in Frederick around 6:30 p.m. On March 10 around 12:20 p.m., officers responded to a report of a woman being chased on the trail near the Nolands Ferry parking area.

The suspect in both attacks is described as a man, approximately 40 years old, medium to heavy build, about 6-feet-tall, with red or strawberry blonde light beard. 

The man was wearing a stocking style hat, dark "Carhart-like" jacket, and blue jeans during the March 10 attack. The suspect may have driven to the Nolands Ferry parking area in a gray 4-door sedan, possibly a Honda Accord.

Tracy Thomas frequently visits the trail to bike. On Tuesday, she went with her husband.

"Always go in pairs, I think. I don’t often during the summer, because I just like to bike you know, like 60 miles so…I leave him [husband] behind for that," Thomas said. "I always bring by my partners now. My friends, my girlfriends, until they catch the person."

Frank Pisano of Frederick said he has never felt unsafe, but his wife typically doesn’t go on the trail alone.

"My wife will come out and ride with me from time to time, but she will not ride by herself. I tend to go a little faster than her. I never get too far ahead of her or I’ll come back and get her and so forth. But disappointing people can’t use this beautiful resource that’s here," Pisano said Tuesday. "When I’m with my wife, if I’m ahead of her, I’ll kind of keep track of where she is and so forth, but I feel safe."

Anyone with information on these assaults is asked to contact police at 888-653-0009 or online.