Cleveland, OH

‘This is how people die’: Woman attacked while running in Rocky River Reservation

Published

3 months ago

September 9, 2025

‘This is how people die’: Woman attacked while running in Rocky River Reservation

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Metroparks police are investigating a violent attack in the Rocky River Reservation that left a woman hospitalized.

The Rocky River Reservation is a popular spot for running, walking or simply enjoying a picnic. One of those regulars was Vani Shukla.

She was supposed to finish her run near the South Mastick Picnic Area, but it was cut short. Now, she’s not sure if she’ll run that route alone again, reminding others to be cautious.

A warning: this story contains potentially disturbing content.

For the past year and a half, running has been Shukla’s passion as she trains for her first marathon, scheduled for October. She runs with many groups and often makes her laps at the Rocky River Reservation.

“Like 90% of my runs are in the reservation, like almost every day. I really love it there, it’s like one of my favorite places in Cleveland,” said Shukla.

But she never imagined one of those runs would turn into a nightmare.

“That was, I will say it is probably the scariest moment of my whole life,” said Shukla.

It happened Saturday, just before sunset. Shukla was pushing for her longest distance yet: 20 miles. She told News 5 she had taken all the safety precautions she normally would.

“I had my location shared. I told people where I was,” Shukla said. “I had a friend on his way to pick me up at the end of my run.”

But around mile 17.5, she says her run was violently interrupted.

“He came up from behind me, grabbed my shoulders, put his hands around my neck, and I couldn’t even scream,” Shukla said. “I tried to reach for, like my fanny pack that had my phone in it so I could emergency try to dial 911, but, like, It all happened so quick.”

Shukla said she fought as hard as she could—until she blacked out.

“As soon as I realized, like, oh, I’m not getting out of this. I’m like, this is how people die. That was, like, the thought that I had in the moment, I was like, oh, this is it,” said Shukla.

Moments later, she said she woke up face down on the trail.

“I could tell like I was bleeding. Everywhere I looked around, nobody was there. I like, saw that I still had my phone. Everything’s covered in blood,” said Shukla.

She said she immediately got up and ran toward the main road.

“I started sprinting up the road because my friend was supposed to meet me in a mile at South Mastick Park,” Shukla said.

Shukla shared a photo with News 5 showing her face after the attack, covered in blood. She was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken nose, cuts and bruises.

While she’s grateful to be alive, she never expected something like this to happen in a place she’s run every week. She said she even saw other families on the trail just minutes before the attack.

“I felt safe running all the time. You don’t really think that it’s real until it happens to you, or I guess, someone like close to you,” Shukla said.

The Metroparks say the attack is under investigation. Patrols have been increased. They issued a statement reading:

“Our thoughts go out to the victim, and we are committed to bringing the person or persons responsible to justice,” The statement read.

Shukla says healing — both physical and emotional — will take time. But she refused to let this stop her.

“I see the same place that I’ve always loved and I will run there again. I will not alone, not for a while,” said Shukla.

Shukla’s message: Keep running, but stay alert.

This case remains under investigation. Metroparks police have not yet released any suspect details.

We Follow Through

Want us to continue to follow through on a story? Let us know.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured News5Cleveland Northeast Ohio News

Click to comment

Cleveland, OH

City of Cleveland activates warming centers with brutal cold approaching

Published

3 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

City of Cleveland activates warming centers with brutal cold approaching

CLEVELAND — Ohio is getting a jumpstart on winter.

Through the weekend, highs will drop with wind chills dipping into the negatives, according to Spectrum News 1 meteorologists. To help residents get out of the cold, the City of Cleveland is activating its warming centers through Monday.

Here are the warming centers that will be available:

Michael Zone Recreation Center
6301 Lorain Ave.
(216) 664-3373
EJ Kovacic Recreation Center
6250 St. Clair Avenue
(216) 664-4140
Zelma George Recreation Center
3155 Martin L. King Blvd.
(216) 420-8800
Collinwood Recreation Center
16300 Lakeshore Blvd.
(216) 420-8323

And here’s how long they’ll be open for, Saturday through Monday:

Saturday, Dec. 13: 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 14: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 15: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

For overnight shelters, RTA passes can be provided to help with transportation to a nearby facility, the city said.

Source link

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Water Department truck falls into sinkhole and breaks gas line on Cleveland’s West Side

Published

15 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Cleveland Water Department truck falls into sinkhole and breaks gas line on Cleveland’s West Side

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland Water Department truck working on a water main break in Ohio City was partially swallowed up into a sinkhole, breaking a gas line underneath the street.

Cleveland Water truck swallowed up(WOIO)

The incident occurred near West 28th Street and Chatham Avenue late Thursday afternoon.

There was no fire or injuries, according to Lt. Michael Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department.

The gas company is on scene working to fix the leak.

Source link

Cleveland, OH

Bob Dylan Ohio tickets: Best prices for 2026 Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton concerts

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Bob Dylan Ohio tickets: Best prices for 2026 Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton concerts

If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Music legend Bob Dylan is bringing his “Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour” to Ohio in 2026, making major stops at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre on April 10, along with the Palace Theatre in Columbus on April 9 and Winsupply Theatre in Dayton on April 12.

This Ohio leg of the tour continues Dylan’s ongoing 2026 concert run in support of his 2020 release, “Rough And Rowdy Ways,” an album widely celebrated as among his finest entries in decades.

How to get tickets to see Bob Dylan in Ohio

Tickets for the upcoming Ohio concerts are selling fast, with some vendors reporting fewer than 100 tickets remaining. However, you can still get pass discounts on trusted third-party ticket platforms including Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub, Viagogo and Ticket City.

New customers can save more with these discount codes:

Vivid Seats customers get $20 off ticket orders of $200 or more by using the code CLEVELAND20 at checkout.
SeatGeek customers get $5 off orders of $300 or more with code TAKE5.

Here are the cheapest ticket prices currently available to the upcoming Bob Dylan concerts in Ohio, as of Dec. 11:

April 9, 2026: Columbus, OH — Palace Theatre

Vivid Seats: $196
SeatGeek: $194
StubHub: $198
Viagogo: $192
Ticket City: $204

April 10, 2026: Cleveland, OH — KeyBank State Theatre

Vivid Seats: $217
SeatGeek: $282
StubHub: $332
Viagogo: $322
Ticket City: $218

April 12, 2026: Dayton, OH — Winsupply Theatre

Vivid Seats: $261
SeatGeek: $288
StubHub: $252
Viagogo: $245
Ticket City: $262

What Ohio fans can expect from Dylan’s shows

Ohio fans will experience more than just great seats. For his first date in Columbus, Dylan takes the stage at the historic Palace Theatre, a venue known for its warm acoustics and lavish 1920s-style charm.

Then comes Cleveland, where Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre will host an intimate, phone-free performance. Fans will have electronics secured in Yondr pouches to ensure a fully immersive concert experience. The embedded nostalgia of the theater pairs perfectly with Dylan’s timeless classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”

Finally, Dayton fans can join the celebration of Dylan’s vast musical legacy at Winsupply Theatre. By choosing acoustically superior venues throughout Ohio, Dylan seems to be deliberately crafting a more personal connection with audiences, transforming each stop into a storytelling event rather than just another headlining show.

Source link