The Snohomish County Prosecutor filed a formal complaint in District Court Wednesday stating its intent to prepare formal charges of assault, attempted second-degree rape, and attempted first-degree murder against 58-year-old Charles F. Fisher of Edmonds. The charges stem from a Sunday evening attack on a section of beach one-quarter mile south of the Edmonds dog park. (See Lynnwood Today coverage here.)

According to police reports, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Sunday evening Woodway and Edmonds police, along with a Lynnwood police K-9 unit, responded to a report of an attempted rape. A couple walking on the tracks heard screams, witnessed what appeared to be an attack, and phoned 911.

Police responding to the scene report that the victim was “upset and had significant visible injuries to her head, arms and legs.” She told police that the attacker hit her “with his hands and rocks,” and threatened to sexually assault her. She fought back, screaming and biting, at which point the attacker told her he was “going to kill or drown” her. The attacker tried to drag her into the water, and she “grabbed and held onto a large rock for her life.”

The attacker then gave up and started walking away and up the heavily wooded embankment while the woman continued to scream for help, got up and started running. Police initiated a K-9 search, found Fisher in the woods, and apprehended him. He has since been in the Snohomish County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

This isn’t the first scrape with the law for Fisher.

According to the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s office he has been involved in “a few misdemeanor cases dating from 1979, 1998 and 2009, and two 1979 felonies from Chelan County.” He has also had several encounters with local police, who describe him as someone who is “known” to them.

The prosecutor has until July 15 to prepare and file formal charges.

Lynnwood Today will continue to follow the story and post updates as they become available.

— By Larry Vogel