Man accused of sexually assaulting woman on Shelton River Walk: police

SHELTON, CT — A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the Shelton River Walk on Aug. 8 was arrested Wednesday, police said.

In a news release, police Detective Richard Bango said a 47-year-old woman reported that day that she was walking her dog along the Riverwalk at Canal Street when a man approached her and said he wanted to meet her.

The woman said she tried to walk away, but the man put his arms around her and prevented her from leaving. The woman also reported that the man grabbed her breasts while holding her, Bango said.

According to Bango, the woman told police that she was able to free herself from the man, but that he grabbed her buttocks as he fled.

Bango said the woman was aware enough to take a photo of the man during the encounter and give it to Shelton police, who released it to the public.

Police later found Jgai Purcell, 21, of Shelton, who appeared to match the man in the photo. The woman was later shown a lineup of photos and identified Purcell as the man who tied up and attacked her on the Riverwalk, Bango said.

Purcell was charged with fourth-degree sexual abuse and second-degree false imprisonment. He was held on $50,000 bail.

“The Shelton Police Department would like to once again thank our dedicated detective agency,” Bango said in a press release, “for their tireless dedication and tireless efforts in this investigation.”