Woman ambushed, chased on Kennesaw Mountain trail: 'She did all the right things'

KENNESAW, Ga. - Superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is praising the quick thinking of a woman who was ambushed and chased by man wearing a ski mask while walking her dog earlier this week.

Wednesday, Superintendent Gamman talked to FOX 5 about their investigation saying rangers have stepped up patrols in the south end of the park.

"She did all the right things, she identified that this was a dangerous situation, she took off running with her dog and she kept going until she encountered other people," said Superintendent Patrick Gamman.

The woman's husband told FOX 5 it happened about a mile or two from the Cheatham Hill parking lot on Tuesday morning.

The woman's husband said the man shouted at her in English and Spanish that he loved her and told her not to run. The husband said his wife ran as fast as she could until she caught up with a group of people. They helped get her to a place where she was safe.

The woman's husband said his wife is still terrified. He wanted others to know what had happened, so they could be on alert.

"We're still investigating it, so you'll see some of that and just being on the trails to make sure people are safe," said Gamman.

Superintendent Gamman says when visitors are on the more than 20 miles of trails in the park, remember that situational awareness is key.

"Study the maps before you go, know where you are at all times, know the quickest way back to your car, know that if somebody came out of the trees or bushes, which way you would run if you had to.  This rarely happens and we want our 2 million annual visitors to feel safe here," said Gamman.

Park authorities say anyone who saw the man with the ski mask, or had an encounter with him, should contact the park service. They also say anyone who ever sees anything suspicious in the park, should call 911 right away.