A woman in her 20s walking home after a late-night part-time shift was struck on the head with a rock by a man in his 50s who was a complete stranger to her. The man fled the scene but was caught by an army noncommissioned officer who happened to be passing by while on leave.
The Yongin Dongbu Police Station in Gyeonggi Province said on the 18th that it had detained the man, identified only as A, and referred him to the Suwon District Public Prosecution Office (gongso-cheong), a newly created body under the reorganization separating investigative and prosecutorial powers, on charges of aggravated assault.
A is accused of striking the woman, identified as B, on the head with a rock at about 1:19 a.m. on Oct. 5 on a street in a busy commercial district of Yeokbuk-dong, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
Police found that A followed B as she walked home from her part-time job and attacked her without warning. B was on the phone at the time. Investigators determined that the two had never met.
B suffered head contusions requiring an estimated two weeks of recovery. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
A ran from the scene immediately after the attack but was caught by the army noncommissioned officer, who heard the woman calling for help. A told police he had been drinking and did not remember what happened, according to investigators.
Staff Sgt. Min Kyung-hyun, an intelligence officer with the 66th Brigade of the Army's 21st Infantry Division, was near the scene while on leave. Min was heading home after dinner with friends when he heard B shout, "Help me. Please catch that man."
Min immediately chased A and caught him after a pursuit of about 20 to 30 meters.
Min called the emergency number 112 and requested an ambulance. He then held A in a two-armed grip for about 20 minutes to prevent him from fleeing until police arrived.
Although he was on leave, Min did not walk past the scene but gave chase himself, and his response led to A being caught at the scene and handed over to police.
Police detained A, investigated the case and referred him to prosecutors on charges of aggravated assault. They plan to award Min a commendation for his quick action in apprehending the suspect.