黑料福利社

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The 16-year-old charged with raping a jogger on the Yakima Greenway path was charged with attempting to rape another woman on the pathway earlier this year.

But authorities dropped the charge for lack of evidence after the woman, who they described as homeless, could not be found for follow-up interviews.

The teenager is being held in the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Center as prosecutors seek to have him tried as an adult for the Nov. 22 incident. A hearing to make that determination is scheduled for February.

On May 19, a man told police he was crossing a railroad bridge from the north side of the Yakima River near North Sixth Street when he heard

a woman yelling for help. He found the woman near the Greenway path with a man kneeling over her, striking her head and trying to pull her pants down, the affidavit said. When the assailant spotted the man, he left.

The boy, who matched the assailant鈥檚 description, was arrested at the east end of Rotary Lake after the man who witnessed the attack identified him as the assailant, the affidavit said.

The victim, a 35-year-old woman, told police the boy attacked her and she fought back, but police said she was uncooperative and told them that she didn鈥檛 want help.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice in June, giving prosecutors the option to refile them if they find additional evidence.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Barrett said the woman gave investigators bad contact information, and without her testimony there was insufficient evidence to pursue the charge.

In light of the recent attack, investigators are again trying to locate the woman, police Capt. Jeff Schneider said.

The boy previously pleaded guilty to two counts of malicious mischief and one count of fourth-degree assault in cases earlier this year.