Man Assaults Woman, Throws Her Phone into a Lake After a Dog Fight in Sonoma Valley Park

Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies are looking for a man who is accused of assaulting a 60-year-old woman in Sonoma Valley Regional Park near Glen Ellen Sunday morning after his dog got into a fight with the woman's dog and he became angry enough that he ripped off her glasses and threw her cell phone into a lake.

The man, described by the victim as around 50 years old and 6-feet tall and a slight build with gray hair and a brown and gray beard. He was wearing a red baseball cap, a blue vest and shorts with a fanny pack. His dog was described as a reddish-brown and white Australian Shepherd.

The incident occurred at 8:50 a.m. in the park near Arnold Drive, with both dogs running off-leash – a violation of park rules. The dogs began fighting, and the man then came at the woman aggressively, "crossed his dog's leash around her neck and began yelling at her," Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Thompson said.

The woman fought him off and threatened to take a photo of him with her cell phone camera, Thompson said, only to have him rip off her glasses, yank her cell phone out of her hands and throw the victim's phone into Suttonfield Lake, Thompson said.

The man continued screaming at the woman, kicked her dog several times and then took off toward Arnold Drive, the victim told deputies. She eventually flagged down another hiker who called the Sheriff's Office for help, Thompson said.

Deputies searched the area but were not able to find the man.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office at 565-2121.