Man admits to assaulting jogger

A man in custody for a series of assaults in Douglas County allegedly admitted he also assaulted a West Carson City jogger in February, police said Friday.

Adam Ralph Garcia, 23, told a Carson City investigator he was depressed Feb. 24 and the female jogger he spotted about 5:30 a.m. at Minnesota and Washington streets "looked like a sensual woman to talk to," said Detective Cate Summers.

According to the police report, the woman said it was still dark outside as she jogged near the intersection at Minnesota and Washington streets. She told police she saw a vehicle with its headlights off pull into the parking lot of a dentist's office, then a man jumped out of the vehicle and rushed toward her.

The woman told police the man dragged her across the street and was trying to shove her into his car when she bit his hand as he held it across her mouth. The man then let the victim go and got back into his car and raced from the scene.

Summers said the victim identified Garcia as the man in that incident. She also believes Garcia is the suspect in a similar incident in October in which she did not report to police.

Garcia has been in custody since May 26 when he allegedly confessed to a Douglas County investigator that he pulled a utility knife on a Gardnerville woman about 6:15 a.m. May 16 as she jogged on Centerville Lane. He reportedly slowed his vehicle alongside her as she ran, threatened her with a knife, grabbed her and told her to get inside his vehicle.

The 46-year-old woman struggled free and called police. She got a partial license plate number from Garcia's vehicle.

Garcia also confessed to an April 24 incident involving a 42-year-old woman walking her dogs near the Gardnerville Ranchos sandpits about 9 a.m. Garcia, reportedly intoxicated, is believed to have grabbed her from behind, and she was able to break away. When she asked him what he was doing, he exposed himself to her, ran to his white sedan and drove away. The woman contacted the sheriff's department.

On April 18, a woman filed a report that she was near Deseret and Silver Birch in Minden when a man she described as in his 20s pulled up and asked if she wanted to play around with him. The woman told him to leave.

He will appear in East Fork Justice Court on Wednesday.

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.