A woman knocked her attacker’s glasses off during an assault, and that one detail led to his family turning him in

A 21-year-old man from Minnesota has been arrested after police say he sexually assaulted a woman on a sidewalk. The woman managed to fight back during the attack, and one small thing she did helped police catch him.

According to People, Tristen Alan Leritz was arrested after being accused of attacking a 51-year-old woman in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office announced his arrest and shared details about what happened.

Police say the attack happened when the woman was out walking in the afternoon. Leritz allegedly came up behind her without warning, pulled her off the sidewalk into a hidden spot, and sexually assaulted her. While he was attacking her, the woman fought back as hard as she could and managed to knock his glasses off his face. She also bit his hand, according to the sheriff’s office.

One small detail made all the difference

The woman had been talking on the phone with a friend when the attack started. Court documents show she screamed at her friend to call 911 right away. Leritz allegedly put his hand over her mouth and choked her while assaulting her. The whole thing lasted around 15 minutes and happened right next to the sidewalk where people could see.

Court papers say that Leritz did not seem to worry about attacking someone in such a public place. Even though the area was not completely hidden, he continued the assault until the woman was able to fight him off.

The glasses the woman knocked to the ground became the most important clue in finding who did this. Police told the public they were looking for someone who might be missing their glasses, hoping someone would recognize this detail.

That information ended up reaching Leritz’s own family. Ramsey County Undersheriff Jeff Ramacher said the family put the pieces together and decided to report him to the police. The sheriff’s office said the victim did everything right by reporting what happened immediately and giving them good information to work with.

When police questioned Leritz after arresting him, he admitted to the attack. Court documents show he told investigators he saw the woman walking and decided to assault her because he was a virgin. He used those exact words when explaining why he did it.

Leritz is now waiting to be officially charged with the crime. Court records show this is not his first time getting in trouble with the law. He was found guilty of stealing a car just last year in 2024.

In recent months, several high-profile assault cases have made headlines, highlighting the importance of victims coming forward and reporting incidents to law enforcement. Meanwhile, other celebrities have faced legal troubles as the justice system continues to address various criminal allegations.