The murder of a woman who was allegedly taken while exercising on a prominent hiking trail this week has led to the arrest of a man in Tennessee, according to authorities.
During a press conference, police claimed that a man assaulted 34-year-old Alyssa Lokits on Monday, Oct. 14, as she was exercising on the Mill Creek Greenway route in Nashville, Tenn.
As the Metro Nashville Police Department reported on social media on Tuesday, 29-year-old Paul Park was apprehended by authorities.
Lokits was reportedly exercising on the trail when she was abducted, according to MNPD Chief John Drake, who stated this at the press conference.
Lokits was reportedly out walking when Park “began following her at a brisk pace,” according to a press statement from the MNPD. Park allegedly stepped out from between two parked automobiles.
BREAKING: IN CUSTODY – Less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting of Alyssa Lokits, 34, on the Mill Creek Greenway, incredible investigative work from Homicide & Specialized Investigations detectives led to the arrest just now of Paul Park, 29, of Brentwood. pic.twitter.com/hFzq8qFcjw
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) October 15, 2024
Both of them quickly disappeared from the camera’s perspective. Witnesses heard a woman yell out, “Help! He’s trying to rape me,” before the shooting.
Shortly after that, Park was spotted returning to his vehicle, which was described as a BMW sedan, with scratches on his arms and blood on his clothes, according to the statement.
According to Drake, who spoke at the press conference, the authorities are of the belief that Park kidnapped Lokits, led her into an undeveloped area, and then tried to abuse her sexually. Park was reportedly seen in the “overgrown area” where Lokits’ body would eventually be discovered, according to the MNPD news statement.
The police department’s statement stated that on Monday evening, dashcam footage was received from a local citizen whose vehicle was parked near the Greenway trailhead. Using the video and another witness’s partial tag, the police were able to identify Park’s BMW and apprehend him.
He is currently in custody.
Reference: Woman Killed on Trail While Exercising After Witnesses Hear Scream: ‘He’s Trying to Rape Me’