Bloomington man followed woman in woods and was arrested for rape

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A Bloomington man was arrested for attempted rape after following a woman in a wooded area.

Manuel Lopez Lopez was charged with:

• Attempted rape, a level 3 felony
• Sexual Assault, a Level 6 Crime
• Imprisonment, a Level 6 felony

Bloomington police were dispatched to the 1000 block of E. Hillside Dr. because a caller heard a woman screaming “get away from me” and “help” from a wooded area. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim.

According to court documents, the victim said she was walking south on Woodlawn Avenue toward Hillside Avenue when she saw Lopez Lopez running in the opposite direction. The man reportedly began to follow her closely. Two witnesses at the scene saw part of the attack on the victim and were able to intervene, causing him to run away.

Moments later, officers received a call about a suspect matching Lopez Lopez’s description attempting to attack another woman in the 100 block of E. Miller Dr. She managed to escape and call police.

When the suspect was caught, both women positively identified Lopez Lopez as the man who attacked them. Officers described Lopez Lopez as having slurred speech and appearing very intoxicated.

Lopez Lopez was booked into the Monroe County Jail.