Courtesy photo.
Here is a computer-generated composite sketch of a man sought in the attempted sexual assault of a woman near DeLand Wednesday night.
DELAND -- The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report that a man attempted to rape a woman at gunpoint Wednesday night near DeLand. A composite sketch of the attacker has been issued to the media.
The 43-year-old woman told deputies that she was walking along a shortcut between two houses when an armed man suddenly grabbed her and attempted to sexually batter her. The man fled before going completely through with the act. The victim only suffered minor injuries.
Several deputies, DeLand Police Department officers, a K-9 unit and a Sheriff’s Office helicopter searched the area for the suspect, but did not find him. The woman was walking in the 1200 block of South Delaware Avenue at about 11:50 p.m. and she walked between two homes as she usually does to get to a relative’s home on New Hampshire Avenue.
"When she was between the houses a man grabbed her and started dragging her toward a nearby shed," Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. "He forced her to the ground while tearing her shirt and pulling her pants down. The woman said that she initially attempted to resist, but the man was armed with a handgun and told her he would shoot her."
But then a woman the victim knew approached, and the suspect quickly got off of the victim, told her that he would kill her if she said anything and left, Haught said.
The victim said the suspect was a black male in his mid to late 20s with a goatee. His hair was in dreads that were pulled back but still long enough to touch his shoulders. He wore a black T-shirt with light-colored pants and tennis shoes.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Sheriff's Investigator Todd Raible at (386) 943-7866 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at 1-888-277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000. Individuals can also Text a tip by texting “TIP231 plus the message” to CRIMES.