Henderson County man arrested after alleged attack in Bent Creek Forest
Warrants alleging an attack on a runner in Bent Creek led to the arrest of Dillion James Curtis, 29, of Etowah, in Henderson County.
A Henderson County man was arrested Friday after warrants alleged he attacked a woman while she was running in Bent Creek Experimental Forest, a heavily used recreation area south of Asheville that draws runners, hikers and cyclists from across Buncombe County.
The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office said Dillion James Curtis, 29, of Etowah, was taken into custody in Henderson County on May 22. Deputies charged him with assault on a female, communicating threats, false imprisonment and interfering with emergency communication. The arrest came days after the warrants were filed, moving the case quickly from an allegation on the trail to formal criminal charges.
Bent Creek sits inside Pisgah National Forest and spans nearly 6,000 acres near Asheville. The U.S. Forest Service describes it as the oldest federal experimental forest east of the Mississippi River, created to study silvicultural practices and demonstrate forest management methods. Trailheads in the area also carry signs marking designated trail usage, underscoring that Bent Creek is both a research forest and one of the region's most popular outdoor destinations.
The allegations landed with immediate force because Bent Creek is part of daily life for many people in Buncombe County. The forest is a familiar place for morning runs, mountain bike rides and long hikes, and any report of violence there quickly becomes a public-safety concern for the larger community. The forest's history runs far deeper than its current recreation use, with background material showing the Bent Creek basin was occupied in the early Archaic period about 8,000 years ago, later used by Cherokee campsites, then heavily altered by logging and agriculture before much of it became part of Pisgah National Forest.
For people heading out on isolated trails, the practical takeaway is simple: plan ahead, tell someone where you are going and pay close attention to your surroundings. The National Park Service recommends filing an itinerary before setting out, a basic precaution that carries extra weight in places like Bent Creek, where a routine run can suddenly become the center of a criminal investigation.
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