By William Kenny

Times Staff Writer

A masked man tried to abduct a 28-year-old woman near Pennypack Park in the Northeast on Friday morning, less than a month after a similar attack next to a different section of the 1,600-acre park.

Philadelphia police have drawn no direct connection between the two incidents, but the methods used and descriptions of the attackers in each case closely resemble each other.

Friday's attack occurred at 7:25 a.m. on the 2800 block of Holme Ave., police said. The victim reportedly was walking to work and was listening to headphones when a man grabbed her from behind. The man tried to pull the woman by the waist into nearby woods, but she punched him in the face, forcing him to release her and flee.

The victim reported no serious injuries. She was unable to determine the race of her attacker because he wore a white plastic mask over his face as well as a black hooded sweat shirt covering his head and hands. He is about 6 feet 2 inches tall and has a heavy build, but is not muscular. He also wore black sweat pants and white sneakers.

According to news media reports, a Pennypack Park jogger reported seeing a suspicious man later in the morning sitting in the woods behind Abraham Lincoln High School and Austin Meehan Middle School, a short distance from the intersection of Ryan and Rowland avenues. Police put the schools in a temporary lockdown status and searched the woods with scent-tracking dogs, but made no arrests.

An earlier abduction attempt occurred on Oct. 1 on the 8500 block of Algon Ave., about 1.5 miles from Friday's crime scene.

Authorities said a man posing as a police officer approached a young mother and her infant daughter at about 4:40 p.m. and asked the woman if she had seen a missing dog. He then grabbed her and tried to drag her into the woods. The victim managed to break free from the man, who took her cell phone and ran away.

The woman described her attacker as white, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing more than 200 pounds. He has a light complexion and husky build with blond, closely clipped hair and light-colored eyes. He wore a gray short-sleeve shirt and dark pants.

Call the special victims unit at 215-685-3253 to report information about either attack.

Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com