Mother speaks out about alleged attack at park

The Monroe Police Department is investigating an incident at Lake Tye Park that left a Monroe mom and her 11-year-old daughter angry and thoroughly shaken.

The incident occurred in the women's bathroom on Friday, July 29, during Music in the Park, a free summer concert series coordinated by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and the Monroe Parks Department.

The alleged victim's mother said she had no qualms about allowing her now 12-year-old daughter to attend the concert that night; it was sunny, they live close by, she was with her friends and there were hundreds of people in the park.

The girl told police officers she was inside a stall in the women's restroom when two boys entered the bathroom and came under the door of the stall. She said her skirt was lifted and her chest was groped on top of her clothing. She screamed and was able to fight them off, the two boys allegedly running from the scene. There was no one else in the restroom at the time.

Monroe police received the call at 8:19 p.m., and responded to the park. They met the alleged victim, who was able to provide a description of the boys. The two male suspects, one 16- and one 17-year-old, were located and brought back to the police station for questioning. One suspect is from the Monroe area, the other from a small town in eastern Washington.

The alleged victim was also interviewed.

"We brought her and the boys back here and did interviews,GÇ¥ said Monroe Police Department Communications Director Debbie Willis. "All three were cooperative and released to their parents.GÇ¥

The girl's mother was alerted to the incident by her daughter immediately after it happened, arriving at the lake within just a few minutes. According to her, the girl did not require emergency medical care after the incident. She'll receive counseling to help her deal with the trauma, the mom said.

In the meantime, she's frightened to leave the house and is angry about what happened.

"She's really angry,GÇ¥ she said. "I don't call her a victim. I call her a warrior, because I don't use that word in my house.GÇ¥

She felt it was important to talk about the incident in order to raise awareness.

"Just because your child is almost 12, and you live in a small town where you know everybody, don't let that blanket of security fool you,GÇ¥ she said.

The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are in the process of interviewing witnesses, and will continue to gather information to develop a clear picture of what happened. Depending on the results of the investigation, charges of voyeurism, a felony, and assault in the fourth degree with sexual motivation, a gross misdemeanor, could be filed. The case will be handled through the Snohomish County juvenile court system.

"We will gather as many facts as we can, and then we'll give the case to the prosecutor for a decision on whether they're going to move forward,GÇ¥ Willis said.

The Monroe Police Department plans to use Dawson Place, a child advocacy resource in Snohomish County that treats juvenile victims of abuse. Through care at Dawson Place, the alleged victim will be able to process what happened in a safe environment.

The mother said she plans to seek a protection order against the Monroe suspect.

She said she is angry and upset about what happened to her daughter, but doesn't feel that locking kids up in the house is the answer; teaching them to be observant and aware of their surroundings is critical.

"Monroe is a beautiful place to live,GÇ¥ she said. "But people filter in,and you just need to teach your daughters to be aware but not scared.GÇ¥

The police department has not identified an ongoing threat.

"We don't think we have a public danger,GÇ¥ Willis said. "We were able to identify all parties and we have met with them.GÇ¥