Police in suburban Lake County say they have apprehended a suspect who is accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a teen on a popular bike path earlier this month.
According to authorities, Tramane Johnson, 27, was taken into custody Wednesday morning after police executed an arrest warrant at his Beach Park home.
Johnson is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl along the Robert McClory Bike Path in Beach Park on June 7.
According to police, Johnson allegedly came out of a line of trees along the path, grabbed the victim by the neck, and shoved her to the ground. Police say the man then forcefully removed her clothing and began to sexually assault her.
A nearby resident heard the teen screaming and started yelling to her to run to them for help. The suspect then fled the scene, and the neighbor called 911.
A search of the area by sheriff’s deputies and canines came up empty, with police suspecting that the man had fled the scene in a vehicle.
Johnson now faces two counts of felony attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to a press release from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
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During the investigation into the case, a hair sample was obtained by police, and when it was checked against the Combined DNA Index System, it returned a positive identification of Johnson, according to authorities. Johnson’s DNA was on file due to weapons charges that were filed out of state, according to the release.
Police began surveillance on Johnson’s home, and after reviewing more evidence in the case, an arrest warrant was approved by the State’s Attorney’s Office.
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Lake County officials are thanking the public for their help in the case, saying that the story of the assault drew hundreds of shares on social media and turned up dozens of leads.
“This is a prime example of a community-law enforcement partnership,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement. “Hundreds of shares on social media, and dozens of messages and tips came in to aid our pursuit of justice for the victim. I want to thank the public at large for their help in this case, and all of our law enforcement partners.”
A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, according to officials.
