NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Police say they've charged a man with sexually assaulting a young, pregnant mother at a busy North Fulton County park last year. They say its the same man who attacked an 11-year-old girl at a mall two months ago.
Channel 2's Mike Petchenik first reported the assault of the pregnant woman in May of 2017.
Petchenik obtained the frantic 911 calls from the 23-year-old victim, who was attacked while pushing her 1-year-old in a stroller in Alpharetta's Wills Park.
"I was walking on the trail and he came up behind me with a knife and he tried to take me back into the barn area. He was going to sexually assault me," the victim told dispatchers. "I fought back and got away from him."
Alpharetta police said they've been working tirelessly since that attack to identify the suspect.
"We had an idea of what he looked like, put out a sketch, followed up with tipsters and leads with the victim," Alpharetta police spokesman Howard Miller said. "Unfortunately at that time there wasn't enough evidence to make an arrest in the case."
The case went cold, but the big break finally came after the 11-year-old girl was attacked at Town Center Mall in Cobb County in May.
Cobb County police arrested Danzell Mitchell in that case. They then got a tip that he could be connected to the earlier assault.
"Our officers on patrol received a tip from someone in the community that they had recognized our suspect Danzell Mitchell, who had been arrested by the Cobb County police department," Miller said.
Detectives were then able to identify Mitchell as the attacker at Wills Park after a former co-worker of Mitchell's recognized his mugshot.
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Police have taken out several warrants on Mitchell, who is currently in the Cobb County Jail on charges stemming from the second assault.
"We're excited to have someone in custody and this dangerous person out of our area," Miller told Petchenik.
Neighbors in Alpharetta say they are relieved the suspect is in custody.
"It's not something that happens every day so it was a shock to our community," a neighbor told Petchenik. "I'm proud of the community we live in and I'm actually really proud of the police department. I think they were spot on. They're really good."
Mitchell will eventually have to face charges in Fulton.