A 19-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting and trying to drown a woman in Texas has been arrested after she fought him off and escaped, police have confirmed.
Jacoby Isiah Fuselier is accused of attacking the woman at about 6:30 p.m. local time on Monday, July 13, as she exercised along the White Oak Bayou river in the Inwood area of Houston, according to a statement from the office of Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.
The woman was able to flee the scene and located deputy constables. After informing them of the attack, she was taken to the hospital to be treated.
Deputies flew a drone above the White Oak Bayou and saw claw marks through the mud and grass on the bayou’s bank, which helped them pinpoint the scene of the attack, per the statement.
They then followed bike tracks to a residential street, where home surveillance footage showed a man who matched the attacker’s description, the statement read.
Per Fox 26 Houston, a witness said a man on a bike had whistled at her while she was outside but left after seeing her husband. She reported she saw the man again, giving officers information to help them arrest the suspect.
After a “brief chase and struggle,” police arrested Fuselier nearby, the police statement read.
He was found with some of the woman’s possessions and had injuries aligning with those she told police she inflicted on him while trying to defend herself. She explained that she gouged at his eye and grabbed clumps of his hair.
Fuselier was charged with evading arrest early on Tuesday, July 14, as authorities gathered more evidence for additional charges, police said. As of Tuesday afternoon, he remained in custody. He was given a $7,500 bond, CBS affiliate KHOU 11 reported.
The office of Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said in an email to PEOPLE on Wednesday, July 15 that two first-degree felony charges of aggravated sexual assault had been filed overnight against the defendant, citing the Harris County District Clerk.
“This is an incredible story of [a] woman’s strength and will to survive,” said Rosen, per the police release, commending the victim’s bravery. “We want to see that justice is done for her and we are thankful for the hard work by our deputies.”
According to KHOU 11, investigators are looking into whether Fuselier may be connected to previous attacks, while Rosen confirmed that he is also being investigated by other law enforcement agencies, per ABC affiliate KTRK.
He added that the teenager had previously been arrested by his office for theft of a firearm, an offense of which he was later convicted, the outlet noted, citing investigators.
A local resident told KHOU 11 that it was “nerve-wracking” to hear of such an attack happening close by. “Every time we go on a walk, walk the dog, take the trash out, we’re always going to try to stay a lot more vigilant than we already are,” they said.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Harris County District Clerk for additional information, but did not immediately hear back.