CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook on Monday said deputies responded to a reported sexual battery earlier in the day, and that investigators were working to identify a suspect.
News4JAX spoke with the victim’s father, who said his daughter is a minor.
Cook said deputies responded to the area of Blairmore and Blanding boulevards. She said a woman told deputies that man entered the home, forcibly assaulted her and left the area on foot.
“The suspect is described as a white male with red facial hair, approximately 5-foot 10 (inches tall) with a thin build. He was wearing a black hoodie, slide-style sandals and black baggy shorts,” the sheriff said in a video posted to Facebook.
One neighbor we spoke with says news of what happened has put left her on edge.
“It’s very scary because I just moved to this complex, I’ve been here almost a year now. It’s very scary because sometimes my husband travels at night so it’s only me and the dogs,” said resident Josmori Valdez.
“I say it’s disheartening because this community is pretty safe, and to know something happened to a young woman is scary because it can happen to anyone and it’s supposedly an environment where we feel safe, but it’s like women can’t be safe anywhere,” said another resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
Cook asked anyone who lives in the area to check their cameras. Anyone with information was asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 904-264-6512.