Lambertville Police are urging users of the trail along the Delaware and Raritan Canal to be careful and walk with a friend.
By: Linda Seida
WEST AMWELL Lambertville Police are advising users of the Delaware and Raritan Canal towpath to use common sense and walk with a partner, especially at night, following the discovery of a semi-conscious Lambertville woman, the victim of an apparent attack, shortly after midnight Tuesday.
The 67-year-old woman was discovered just across the West Amwell border near the wing dam, a police spokesperson said. Paramedics transported the woman to the Hunterdon County Medical Center, where she remains unconscious.
After a 911 call that said the victim was either unconscious or deceased, officers from Lambertville and West Amwell responded, said Lt. Stephen Bartzak of the West Amwell police. Upon the arrival of officers from both municipalities, officers determined the woman was alive but unconscious, he said.
Police determined there were indications of a struggle, Lt. Bartzak said. Due to the disheveled condition of the woman’s clothing and the lateness of the hour, when it is uncommon for people to frequent the towpath, the officers contacted the Criminal Investigations Department of the Hunterdon County prosecutor’s office, Lt. Bartzak said.
The case has been turned over to the prosecutor’s office, specifically the Special Victims Unit, which handles sex crimes. However, police did not say if the victim had been raped. Calls to the prosecutor’s office were not immediately returned.
Neither Lambertville nor West Amwell police released the victim’s name. They referred all questions to the prosecutor’s office.
West Amwell police said the incident is "not a cause for alarm," but residents and towpath walkers should "use caution when in any area like that."
"In any place, any municipality, there’s always a possibility," Lt. Bartzak said. "No place is 100 percent guaranteed, iron-clad safe."
He added, "Even if this didn’t happen, I wouldn’t recommend desolate stretches in any area" for people to venture alone, not only because of the possibility of crime but also because of the possibility of an injury occurring without help nearby.
"Where there’s not a lot of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, I’d always be concerned about walking alone, especially in the late evening hours when it starts to get dark," he said.
In a statement released late Thursday afternoon, the prosecutor’s office said, "The investigation will determine whether the woman has been the victim of criminal conduct. Should the investigation reveal that she has been the victim of some form of criminal conduct, further information will be provided."
The county also refused to release the woman’s name, pending the investigation.

