A hiker was seriously injured after a man attacked him Monday night while he was walking back to his vehicle at a Boulder County trailhead. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find the suspect, who left the scene after the reported attack.
The hiker, a 73-year-old man, was hiking down the Boulder Creek Path in the 40,000 block of Boulder Canyon Drive around sunset Monday when a man approached him and accused him of stealing his girlfriend’s marijuana joint, according to a . Earlier, the hiker had asked the woman for a drag of the joint, which she had allowed, before returning the joint and continuing his hike.
The man continued to confront the hiker about the joint as he followed him down the trail and toward the hiker’s car, which was parked just west of Boulder Canyon and Canon Park drives. The man then attacked the hiker from behind, causing him to lose consciousness, according to the release. A passerby found the man unresponsive and called 911, according to Carrie Haverfield, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
The hiker regained consciousness just before emergency personnel arrived and was taken to a local hospital with serious, blunt-force trauma injuries.
The man’s wallet, including his bank cards, driver’s license, and cash, was also missing, according to the release.
The suspect left the area. He is described as being in his late 20s, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and muscular. He had medium brown hair and was wearing a tan t-shirt and olive green pants. He also spoke in an unidentified accent, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who was in the area around 9 p.m. Monday or has information to help identify the suspect to contact detectives at BCSOtips@bouldercounty.gov or 303-441-3674.
