Wendy Martinez was stabbed while out jogging on Tuesday night by a mysterious attacker in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., reported Fox News .
With little energy following the seemingly random attack, Martinez was able to make her way into a takeout restaurant and alert those in the restaurant of what happened and where her attacker went. The customers tried to give her first aid to save her life. That first aid worked long enough to get her to a hospital, where she later died.
Surveillance footage showed Martinez running into the restaurant and pointing out her attacker, which led to several customers running out of the store to try and identify the assailant. Police are saying that the attack seems to have been random and that she did not know the individual before the attack.
Police issued a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual who attacked Martinez, as part of a Wednesday press conference. Washington, D.C.’s Police Chief Peter Newsham said that it was a random act and applauded those in the restaurant for doing the “best they could” in the effort to save the victim’s life.
The footage showed the man in a yellow shirt and dark pants running away from the scene down 11th Street, which led to a big manhunt throughout the area.
Statement from Martinez family: “We are deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy. Wendy was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional.” She just got engaged last week @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/vNVC23V4Di
— Anjali Hemphill (@AnjaliHemphill) September 19, 2018
On Wednesday night, the search proved successful with NBC News 4 reporting that an arrest was made of an unidentified suspect.
The manager of the restaurant spoke with Washington, D.C.’s NBC affiliate about the scene when he saw Martinez arrive in the restaurant, covered in blood.
“I was scared. I don’t know what happened, and I just tried to call the police.”
Police quickly found the knife used in the stabbing in the area after the manager of the restaurant made the call and they came out. An investigation was immediately launched, quickly landing the police the weapon, which was part of what helped find a suspect.
Newsham described the attack as “unsettling” and, after initially looking for three men, has come to the conclusion that the attack was carried out by just one man.
Martinez’s family has spoken about their emotions following her death, revealing that she had just got engaged to Daniel Hincapie last week. The family has asked for privacy to allow them to grieve this tragedy and continued to urge people with any information to bring that to the authorities.
Many local joggers have been shocked by the news, with Logan Circle considered a safe area of the nation’s capital, leading to several joggers changing their routine. One woman brought flowers to the crime scene before heading out for her Wednesday morning jog, reflecting that Martinez could have been her.
