Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least five reports of attacks in or near downtown. In all but one, the victims were women.

The woman who reported the attack on Saturday didn't make a formal police report but she says it happened on the sidewalk on Walnut Street. She had just stepped outside Mud Lounge right around closing time.

In three other reports to police of similar incidents, the victims said they were outside downtown nightclubs right after closing times.

"I never would have thought (it could happen) in just a little couple seconds that that took to happen," the assault victim from Saturday night said in an interview on Wednesday.

Lindsay (not her real name) says what began as a fun night out on the town with just the girls ended with her fighting off an attacker.

"I'm a very cautious girl; all my friends are,” she said.

But that wasn't enough to keep her out of danger.

"I did have my head down listening to my voicemail and next thing led to another and I turned around and there he was,” said Lindsay.

Lindsay says she just left the nightclub as it was closing down and she came around the corner to listen to a voicemail. She was alone and she says the attacker pinned her hands above her head with one of his hands, then used his other hand to assault her.

“He did touch me. I was wearing a skirt so he did get under there,” she said.

He says she screamed for help and a stranger from across the street ran over to help. When he did, the attacker ran off.

Other victims haven't been as fortunate. Three similar incidents reported to Springfield police since January have much in common. They were all after closing, all outside downtown bars, all reported rapes and all listed Icon as a place where victims had been earlier in the evening.

"All those cases are waiting on evidence to come back,” said Officer Grant Story, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.

Until test results come back, police aren't ruling out that the attacker could be the same person.

"Where there are three violent incidents like that, that happen close together in terms of time and location, we have to consider that it's possibly done by the same person; it's too early to say at this point,” said Story.

Lindsay doesn't know who the stranger is but she's just glad another stranger came to the rescue.

"I just know there was probably nothing I could have done. If that other gentleman hadn't heard me and helped me,” she said.

Springfield officers say, on any given busy bar night, four or five officers are patrolling downtown either on foot or in cars. For special events like the Pub Crawl this weekend, the Urban District Alliance adds another four to six officers for patrols.