Urbana woman attacked, cut by man with knife-like object in Springfield, police say

An Urbana woman suffered multiple lacerations on her shoulders, arms and legs after being attacked by a man with either a knife or a box cutter, according to a Springfield police report.

Springfield police responded Saturday evening to the 800 block of Oak Street where they spoke with the woman who said she was walking on East Pleasant Street near Wiley Avenue when she was approached by the man, according to a police report.

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“The male asked her if she had a light for his cigarette,” the report says. “She grabbed a tan lighter from her purse and handed it to him. He took the lighter and lit his cigarette. He then reached out to touch her arm.”

The woman told police she pulled away from the man and told him to give the lighter back to her, the report says. The male then attacked the woman, the report says.

“The male then grabbed her hair by her ponytail and started pulling her northbound down Wiley Avenue,” the report says. “(The woman) lost her footing and fell to the ground. The male reached down to touch her. (The woman) started kicking the male.”

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The man grabbed her feet and socks, the report says. He eventually pulled her socks off and threw them to the ground, according to the report.

“(The woman) got to her feet. The male pulled an unknown knife-like object, possibly a box cutter, and started swinging it at her cutting her multiple times,” the report says. “(The woman) attempted to run away, the male grabbed the back of her shirt and kept swinging the knife at her. (The woman) lunged backwards breaking the grasp on her shirt and ran from the area.”

The woman made contact with police who observed lacerations from the attack, the report says.

“Her shirt was cut several times on the front and back,” the report says. “(The woman) was visibly shaken and possibly still in shock from the incident.”

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She planned to go to the hospital, the report says. Officers were also able to find her socks at the scene of the attack, the report says.

No arrests have been made in the case, according to police, but the investigation continues.

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