A 45-year-old Alexandria man is in jail for allegedly attempting to rape a woman behind the 7-Eleven at 3412 Mount Vernon Avenue at the border of Del Ray and Arlandria.

James Bowen was arrested on July 19 and is currently in the Alexandria jail.

“It was reported that [the victim] was in the area behind the 7-Eleven convenience store when the suspect approached her and propositioned her for sex,” notes a search warrant affidavit.

The suspect then allegedly exposed himself to the victim, who is Latina, does not speak English and related her experience to investigators via a translator.

Bowen then allegedly returned, exposed himself and assaulted her. There were two witnesses who yelled at the suspect, who was allegedly naked from the waist down and “on top of the victim and appeared to be having intercourse.”

One witness told police that “once he shouted at them, the suspect quickly got up, got dressed and left,” noted the affidavit. “[The witness] reportedly next saw him at the 7-Eleven convenience store already talking with an officer and positively identified him as the suspect.”

Staff photo by James Cullum/Map via Google Maps