Gloucester Man Due In Court In Assault Of Woman In Rockport

GLOUCESTER (CBS) -- A man who police say attacked a woman and tried to rape her in Rockport last week  is due to be arraigned in court Monday.

Angel Saul Perez Castro, 22 of Gloucester, is charged with assault with intent to commit rape and assault and battery on a disabled person.

Police say Castro grabbed the woman from behind, knocked her down, and then tried to rip off her clothes.

The victim suffers from PTSD and a chemical imbalance, according to court documents.

Last Wednesday night around 9:10 p.m., Rockport Police were alerted to a woman screaming on Pooles Lane. She told officers she had been assaulted.

She said the man tried to remove her clothes and reached for her underwear, but fled on a bike after she screamed.

Castro was arrested Friday afternoon around 2:45 p.m. He was identified using surveillance footage from a nearby business.

Officers followed a tip that took them to Atlantic Road in Gloucester, where they found and arrested him.

According to court documents, Castro told police he initially followed the victim because he thought she was under the influence of drugs.

He told police he wanted to offer her $5, because he thought she needed help. Castro said that, when the woman pushed him away, he got angry and pushed her back.

Castro told police he then "pulled down her underpants because he was curious but didn't intend to have sex with her," according to the police report.

He is scheduled to be arraigned in Gloucester District Court some time Monday afternoon.