A 24-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly breaking into a 77-year-old woman’s home in Mulberry, Florida, and sexually assaulting her in the early hours of Saturday, 29 August.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the woman was woken by a noise at about 4am before the intruder entered her bedroom, forcibly removed her clothing and attacked her. She was allegedly slapped when she tried to escape.
When the man went into the bathroom, the woman ran towards the front door, but investigators said he chased her, dragged her back inside and choked her before fleeing. She then contacted the sheriff’s office.
Detectives canvassing the neighbourhood later went to a nearby property, where they found a man who matched the victim’s description. Clothing said to resemble items described by the woman was also found at the house.
The suspect was identified as Axel Antonio Espinal Herrera, from Honduras. The sheriff’s office said a search warrant was obtained for photographs and swabs, and that investigators found multiple scratches on his body which they considered consistent with the victim’s account. The woman later picked him out of a photographic identification procedure.
Espinal Herrera was booked on charges including kidnapping, sexual battery by force, burglary with battery, tampering with evidence, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering or prowling.
The sheriff’s office said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been contacted and placed a detainer on Espinal Herrera. Two other men living at the property were also taken into custody on immigration holds, authorities said.
The allegations have not been tested in court. Espinal Herrera is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
