According to the Russells Point Police Department, on Friday, just before 5:00 PM, officers were dispatched to a reported assault at a retail business.
Upon arrival, officers met with the victim, who reported that a male suspect had entered the store, left, and later returned.
After other customers exited, the suspect remained inside and began acting strangely, making the victim feel uncomfortable.
A second customer remained in the store at the victim’s request.
While the victim was completing closing tasks in the dressing room area, the suspect approached her from behind, grabbed her arms, and made a sexually explicit statement.
The suspect then pushed the victim.
The victim screamed, prompting the other customer to respond to the changing room.
Their actions caused the suspect to immediately flee the store on foot, leaving merchandise behind.
The victim was able to obtain the suspect vehicle’s license plate number, and the incident was captured on store surveillance cameras.
Officers reviewed the footage, which corroborated the victim’s account and showed the suspect following the victim into the dressing room area and forcibly engaging with her before fleeing.
Through investigation, the suspect was identified as 34-year-old Tyler Gorby, who was later located at a residence on State Route 368 in Huntsville.
Officers made contact with Gorby, who made statements indicating he had been struggling mentally and acknowledged acting on what he described as a “stupid” thought.
Gorby was taken into custody without incident and charged with attempted rape.
He was transported to the Logan County Jail.
Further investigation revealed that Gorby is a registered sex offender with two prior convictions involving unwanted sexual contact.
The victim demonstrated strong situational awareness and effective self-defense by alerting the other customer, screaming for help, and drawing attention to the incident, which ultimately caused the suspect to leave.
