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A December 19th predawn run along the 2nd Street Trail in McAllen has left one woman in fear.
           
"You never think it's going to happen to you and unfortunately it did," Betty Rodriguez said.
           
She can't seem to shake the image out of her mind.
          
"Like a bear hug from behind," she described.
           
Betty says she was attacked.
           
"My body was fighting him off like fight or flight," she explained.
           
The incident happened toward the end of an hour-long run.

Betty said she had just told her running partner to finish ahead of her near Nolana Avenue after the hour long run.
           
The attacker allegedly struck when Betty was alone.
           
He approached her from behind and asked a question that caught Betty off guard, according to her.
           
"He came from behind and tapped me, asking me for the time... I guess to stall me," she recalled.
           
A struggle broke out after she tried to flee.
           
"He wanted to take me and I had to go with him," she said.  "I was able to fight him off and here I am."
           
But not before leaving her with bruises and stealing her cell phone.
           
"I guess from him grabbing me," she said.  "I did have my phone in an arm band and he was able to rip that off and he took it."
           
The mother of 3 said her 5 am group runs with VIP Boot Camp will continue, but Betty will stick together and is now armed with mace.
          
Her advice to others on the trail?
          
"Stay together."
           
She also has some choice words about her attacker.
           
"He will get caught," she said.
           
Betty is hoping her story will alert others about the potential danger.

Other people believe safety improvements are needed.
           
They’re calling for lights along the trail that don’t work to be fixed, emergency call boxes and cameras to be installed and frequent police bike patrols.
           
Betty said she’s filed a police report.
           
Several calls by Action 4 News to reach a McAllen Police Department spokesperson were not returned on Friday.
           
Betty describes her attacker as a Hispanic male in his early 20’s with a mole on one of his cheeks.
           
He was wearing jeans and a cap at the time, she said.
           
Anyone with information should contact police.

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