A dog’s growl was enough warning to get its owner to stop casually chatting with a stranger.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, May 5, a woman was out walking her canine companion at Highline High School, 225 S 152nd St. The campus was busy. A sporting event had just ended and the attendees were piling out of the game and starting to leave the area.

When a man approached her and asked her how to get to the game, she simply gave him directions. He walked away, stood by a tree for a couple of minutes and then returned and tried to pet the dog.

The dog responded with a growl – and the woman picked up her dog and started running away.

The man chased after her, eventually catching up to her and wrapping his arm around her neck, choking her. She struggled to breathe.

Eventually, the victim was able to run away and made it back to her home. She sustained a fractured jaw during the struggle.

She met with police 20 minutes later -- and described the man to as in his mid 20s, weighing about 180 pounds, with a medium build, brown eyes and short black hair. He wore a black jacket, blue jeans and black shoes. He told her that his name was Juan.

Sgt. Cindi West, spokeswoman for King County Sherriff’s Office, said that the victim did the right thing by following her – and her dog’s – instincts.

“As soon as she started to feel uncomfortable, she tried to leave,” West said.

Officers are still searching for the man who assaulted this woman.

“A lot of crimes are solved by the people who recognize a suspect and call us to report it,” West said. “Police can’t see everything and be everywhere. So we rely on the community to help us. That’s what we’re hoping for in this case.”

To help identify the suspect or to report any information pertaining to the case, call 911 or 206-296-3311.