ATHENS, Ga. -- A would-be rapist fled Sunday night after he ripped off his victim's clothes and discovered he had attacked a man dressed as a woman, Athens-Clarke police said.

The suspect was riding a bicycle when he started stalking a 17-year-old walking along Bray Street near Fourth Street in East Athens about 6:30 p.m., police said.

The teen began to walk faster, but the man caught up to him, grabbed his arm and dragged him into some nearby woods.

The attacker started to take off the teen's clothes, tearing his shirt and yanking off his boots; he realized when he stripped off the teen's pants that the victim was male, too, police said.

The victim fought back, but his attacker kicked him repeatedly, police said.

The man ran when the victim's cell phone rang, but by then witnesses on Bray Street had called 911, police said.

The victim crawled from the woods and was sitting on the ground, crying in the rain, when police arrived.

The teenager only could describe his attacker as a fat Hispanic man who wore a gray hoodie and sweatpants, according to police.

The attacker will be charged with criminal attempted rape and false imprisonment if he's found, police said.

"It doesn't matter that (the victim) wasn't a female," Athens-Clarke Capt. Clarence Holeman said. "The suspect's intent was to commit rape."

From the Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010 online edition of The Augusta Chronicle