California hiker assaulted after he says he asked jogger to put on a mask

ROSS, Calif. - A Larkspur, Calif. man said that he was assaulted by a jogger on a Marin County trail after he asked him to wear a mask, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

The hiker reported the assault at about 10 a.m. Wednesday. He said it happened at Phoenix Lake near Ross, the IJ reported.

The man said he and his wife were on the Gertrude Ord Trail when a jogger, who was not wearing a mask, came up to them, Jeanne Mariani-Belding, a spokeswoman for the Marin Municipal Water District, told the IJ.

When the Larkspur hiker asked the jogger to put on a mask, he not only refused but allegedly shoved him and knocked him to the ground, officials said.

According to the water district, the hiker described the attacker as a white and in his early 20s with brown hair, a light-colored shirt and black vest.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the district rangers’ office at 415-945-3075.