Woman attacked by 2 men while jogging on Como Avenue

Two men attacked a 23-year-old woman as she was jogging on Como Avenue in St. Paul Monday evening, according to police. 

At 9:13 p.m., officers were called to the 1400 block of Como Avenue on a report of an assault. The victim was jogging when she noticed two men on the sidewalk, St. Paul police spokesperson Steve Linders said. As she passed them, one of them shoved her in the back, knocking her to the ground.

The men pressed an object making electrical buzzing sounds - possibly a stun gun - to her cheek. The victim told police she felt pain in her face and screamed. 

A neighbor heard the victim’s screams and came outside. The two men walked away, while the neighbor helped the victim into her house and called police. 

The victim was not injured, but she did tell officers that her right ear and jaw hurt from the apparent stun gun. The suspects did not take anything from her. 

Linders said this was a random assault. 

“The victim in this case was doing nothing wrong,” Linders said. “It’s unfortunate that someone would assault someone else for no apparent reason. It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings, which she was. In this case it came out of nowhere and there was very little she could have done to protect herself.” 

The investigation into the assault is ongoing.  

"It’s unusual and concerning at the same time," Linders said. "We’re doing our best to locate the people responsible.“