Man Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Woman In Rockport

ROCKPORT (CBS) -- A man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman in Rockport Wednesday night.

Piercing screams of the woman caught the attention of residents on Pooles Lane around 9pm, who then called police.

"I heard it once at first, and I wasn't sure what it was, and then I heard it a second time and it didn't seem normal so I went outside," said resident Jonathan Ring.

Ring went to the aid of the woman.

"She seemed distraught, not sure what to do," he said.

The woman, in her 50s, told responding officers she was attacked from behind and knocked to the ground.

"She received some scrapes from hitting the ground, and she was shaken," said Rockport Police Chief John Horvath. "This is an incident that is uncommon in our community, it's something that we obviously do not tolerate."

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Angel Saul Perez Castro of Gloucester, then allegedly attempted to remove her clothes but was unsuccessful and fled on a bicycle. Police say it was her screams that likely scared off the attacker.

"She did everything she was supposed to do, she screamed, she got someone's attention, a member of the community called the police department," Horvath said.

Police released surveillance images of the suspect buying milk at a convenience store. He was located Friday afternoon in Gloucester.

Castro is charged with Assault with Intent to Commit Rape and Assault and Battery on a Disabled Person. He will be arraigned at Gloucester District Court on Monday.

Residents in the area were on edge.

"I think it's scary," one area resident said. "I think you're just walking along and something happens, and you just don't expect that."

"I'm going to be more hyper-vigilant, and of course, look out for each other more," the resident said.

Police say it's an unusual crime of opportunity in the seaside town, and Jonathan Ring was there to help. "I was just concerned for the individual. She was grateful that someone was there to help."