Woman raped, robbed while waiting at NW Atlanta MARTA stop

ATLANTA — Police are searching for a man who they say sexually assaulted a woman at gunpoint near a MARTA bus stop on Saturday.
 
Police tell Channel 2's Rachel Stockman that the woman missed her bus, and went to the nearby gas station for a cigarette around 6 a.m. Saturday.
 
On her way back to the bus stop on Chattahoochee Avenue and Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard, a man asked her for directions, according to police. 
 
Police said the man then pulled out a gun, pushed her into a ditch and sexually assaulted her.
 
According to a police report, the man stole the woman's cellphone and backpack, which had her ID card, MARTA card, credit and debit card and $10 cash.  
 
Police say the suspect left the victim in the ditch and ran away. The woman then ran back to a nearby BP station to call 911.
 
The woman was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, but had no visible injuries.
 
Lt. Celeste Murphy of Atlanta Police Department's Special Victims Unit said the woman did not know who her attacker was. She says they have a vague description of the man, but he has a unique tattoo around his eye.
 
"He has a very distinctive tattoo. The tattoo is a multiple series of the letter x," Murphy said.
 
Murphy wants to warn others to be aware of their surroundings.
 
"We want people to be aware of their surroundings, don't speak to strangers, try not to walk alone. Just be mindful of your surroundings and if you can partner up all the better," Murphy said.
 
Alyson Meadows uses the same MARTA bus stations and says the incident makes her feel unsafe.
 
"That doesn't make me feel safe at all to know that something like that is happening right here and I didn't know," Meadows said.
 
Anyone who has any information about the suspect is asked to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.

WSBTV