EVERETT — The woman told police the shirtless stranger with graying hair approached her on the Woodway beach Sunday with his arms out as though he were looking for a hug.
Moments later, he allegedly punched her in the face, wrestled her to the ground and hit her with his hands and rocks.
She fought back.
At one point during the struggle, she asked him what he wanted.
First, he allegedly told her he wanted sex.
Later, she said, he told her he was “just going to kill” her.
That’s when he started trying to drag her toward the water and she “grabbed and held on to a large rock for her life,” according to allegations spelled out in court papers.
On Monday, Everett District Court Judge Tam Bui found police had established probable cause to arrest Charles F. Fisher, 58, for investigation of attempted rape, assault with sexual motivation and attempted murder. Bail was set at $1 million.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Robert Grant asked for the high bail based on the seriousness of the allegations and the nature of the attack on a stranger. He also said there could be a flight risk because of the suspect’s age and the lengthy sentence he could receive.
“If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison,” Grant told the judge.
In seeking a lower bail, defense attorney Paul Thompson said his client has a limited criminal history, has lived in Edmonds for years and has family and a home in the area.
A couple walking along the railroad tracks heard the victim’s calls for help late Sunday afternoon, according to court papers. They saw a shirtless man with gray hair climbing up the rocks and carrying a bag as he walked away.
Another witness reported seeing a man matching the suspect’s description jump a concrete barrier and make his way into a heavily wooded embankment on the east side of the tracks.
Police set up containment and a police dog tracked the suspect halfway up the embankment west of Pine Street in Edmonds.
The victim, 41, was taken to Swedish/Edmonds hospital. She suffered scratches and bruising. She needed stitches for a cut to her knee.
The suspect was treated for bite injuries from a police dog before being booked into the Snohomish County Jail. His right arm appeared to be bandaged in court Monday.
“I knew the dog would find me,” he allegedly told police when they arrested him Sunday.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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