The Renton man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was jogging along the the Longacres Trail thanks to a tip from the public.Officers responded to the 1
The Renton man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who was jogging along the Longacres Trail has pleaded not guilty.
The suspect, Thomas Elijah Moss, appeared during an arraignment hearing at the Maleng Regional Justice Center on Wednesday.
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Moss, a convicted felon, is facing charges of robbery, assault, and rape in connection with the Renton attack. During the arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to all charges
The incident happened on Sept. 12, when officers responded to the 1900 block of Oakdale Avenue just before 9:30 a.m., where they found a woman who had been violently attacked while out on a run as her son was nearby at soccer practice.
During Moss’s first appearance on Sept. 17, a King County prosecutor told the court the victim was attacked by a man who followed her on his bike.
"This victim suffered incredibly traumatizing injuries, including suffocation, multiple times during which she tried to talk down Mr. Moss from further harming her," the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor added that as the victim pleaded for her life, it only seemed to make the suspect angrier.
Court documents detail the violent attack, stating the suspect “put his hands over her mouth and throat and began to strangle her,” at times “causing her to feel like she was going to black out.”
The victim told investigators “she didn’t want to die, and at times during the assault believed the suspect was going to kill her, but that it would be inadvertent.”
The assault ended when another soccer parent, also out on the trail, approached.
“The suspect saw this individual who was on the trail, and I think that interrupted him enough for the victim to maneuver and get away and get herself to safety,” said Cmdr. Susan Lewis of the Renton Police Department.
Police released images of the suspect, described as a Black man wearing glasses and a bright purple hoodie with ears attached to the hood, and requested the public’s help in locating him.
After days of searching, investigators got the break they needed from an anonymous tip. The caller recognized the suspect’s description and distinctive clothing.
The tip led police to Tukwila's Miracle Village Tiny Homes, a shelter community for people experiencing homelessness, where Moss lives.
Court records state that DNA from a pair of glasses found at the scene also matches Moss, and the victim identified him in a photo lineup.
Prosecutors said Moss has two pending matters in mental health court and is currently in violation of all conditions of his release for failing to appear for review.
