Tristen Alan Leritz has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual assault after allegedly attacking and raping a woman in plain sight near a public sidewalk, as passing vehicles continued on their way.

The incident, as reported by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, occurred on the evening of October 28 in Vadnais Heights, Michigan.

According to a criminal complaint referenced by The Pioneer Press and KSTP, the 51-year-old victim recounted that while walking south on Centerville Road, she was tackled from behind by a man who forcefully threw her to the ground and warned her not to scream.

During the attack, the woman was on a call with a friend and managed to shout for help, urging her friend to contact 911. Despite her struggle, the attacker subdued her by choking her with his forearm before proceeding to assault her for at least 15 minutes on the grass beside the sidewalk, as vehicles continued to pass by, according to authorities.

The criminal complaint notes that “The suspect did not seem to care that he was assaulting her in public.”

During the struggle, she was able to knock the suspect’s glasses off, a detail that would later play a role in identifying her alleged attacker.

“The victim fought hard, knocked his glasses off, and bit his hand,” the sheriff’s office noted, “and still managed to give us a detailed description of her attacker.”

After the assault, the woman ran into the street as the suspect “casually” walked toward her, saying “I have to leave this way too,” according to the complaint, also obtained by WCCO.

The woman sought help from a nearby residence. When deputies arrived, they recovered her headphones, glasses and shoes—along with the suspect’s glasses—at the crime scene, according to the court documents.

The woman was taken to the hospital where a sexual assault examination was performed, authorities said.

Leritz was identified as a suspect in the assault after his family noticed his missing glasses and alerted the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, according to the complaint. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension BCA Superintendent Drew Evans also told WCCO Leritz’s DNA matched evidence retrieved from the sexual assault kit.

Although he initially denied playing a role in the assault, Leritz later told investigators in allegations laid out in the court documents that he was out riding his bike when he spotted the woman and decided to ambush her, thinking to himself “F–k it, since I’m a virgin.”

He went on to say he “fully raped her,” authorities alleged. 

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi described the incident as an  “utterly senseless attack” that “shocked an entire community with its brazen nature.”

Leritz is currently in custody at the Ramsey County Jail, where he’s being held on a $500,000 bail. It’s unclear whether he has obtained an attorney.