AKRON, Ohio — Donna McFadden was five minutes late meeting her two friends for a hike along Celebration Trail at Cascade Valley Metro Park in Akron on the morning of Aug. 12.
Once the trio headed out, they stopped momentarily to check out a bullfrog.
McFadden believes those chance moments in time put her in the "right place at the exact right time" to help rescue a 33-year-old woman, who police say was randomly attacked by a stranger.
McFadden, a 65-year-old grandmother who served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps, relied on her training, toughness, instincts —and a rock— when she inserted herself into a dangerous situation.
"I'm not afraid to get in there. I just feel like you can always do something," McFadden said. "I have daughters her age. I believe in sticking up for women and their safety."
McFadden and the two other women— also in their 60s— heard screaming that morning that seemed odd in the nature setting.
Moments later, they noticed a woman, who had come to Summit Metro Park for a run, being attacked.
"She's screaming hysterically. I've never seen that kind of fear in someone's eyes. I knew that she was in trouble," McFadden said.
McFadden yelled at the man, but the assault wasn't stopping, so she moved closer and suddenly became part of the struggle.
"I was up close. I saw more what was going on. I was pushing him, hitting him and pulling her," she said.
In the meantime, McFadden's friends were on the phone with 911.
"There's a man holding a woman against her will. She's screaming," one of the witnesses told the operator.
McFadden felt like she had to do more to end the attack, so she grabbed a rock.
"I picked up a rock, a pretty big rock, and I just him him in the head with it," she said.
McFadden said the stranger still didn't relent but finally stopped when she picked up a second rock.
The suspect, identified as Issac Armour, remained in the park and was arrested, police said.
While the decision to jump into the chaotic situation was frightening, McFadden is glad she reacted the way she did.
"It just shows people that we have more capability than we think," she said.
The victim, who has spoken to News 5 several times since the incident, refers to the women as her heroes.
"I described them before— it was just like— it was like seeing an angel," she said.
Teresa Stafford, the CEO of Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center, watched the News 5 stories, and the organization decided the three women needed to be honored.
"They're more than heroes. They are the humans that we strive to be every single day," Stafford said. "When this story broke, I had to step back and say— you know what— this is what we want people to do on a day-to-day basis."
The good Samaritan will be recognized on Sept. 6 during "A Night of Hope and Healing" at House Three Thirty from 6 to 10 p.m. in Akron.
The victim and police officers raised concerns when Armour got out of the Summit County Jail on a signature bond.
However, records show he's now being held on a $500,000 bond following an indictment charging him with multiple felonies, including attempted raped and kidnapping.
"I just want him put away so he can't do this again to anyone else," McFadden said.
McFadden hopes that sharing her story will encourage others not to walk or run alone and to help someone in need if possible.
"I don't feel like a hero, but I just feel that I was in the right place at the exact right time."
