Victim bit attacker in sexual assault near UCF

Investigators hoping to generate new leads

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Sheriff's Office is releasing new information in a sexual assault that happened Friday near the University of Central Florida.

According to a Sheriff's Office incident report released on Monday, the victim fought back during the assault by biting her attacker.

The attack happened around 8:30 p.m. Friday night at the Arbor Apartments on McKay Boulevard which is just off Alafaya Trail and across the street from the UCF campus.

According to the report, a 32-year-old UCF student was taking her trash out when a man approached her at the dumpster. The victim told investigators the man held a gun to her head and made her perform oral sex. She then fought back by biting the man, but he started punching her in the head several times.

Deputies say the attack lasted a couple of minutes before the man ran off and sped away in a yellow car.

"I try not to walk around at night out here," said fellow UCF student Taylor Speckman, who also lives in the complex right by a dumpster. "I do my best to run upstairs as quickly as I can. I'm not terribly afraid of it, but I tend to have a friend with me when I'm walking around at night."

According to deputies, the victim did not get a good look at the suspect's face, but he's described as a 6-foot tall black man, between 20 and 30 years old with a thin build and deep voice.

A UCF security alert was emailed on Saturday, but with the attacker still on the run, many students are now walking in pairs and with pepper spray.

"It's scary because that can happen to any of us," said student Marina Addario. "You never know. Walking around campus, you're supposed to feel safe and then stuff like this happens."

Anyone with information on the attack, is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.


About the Author:

Lisa Bell has been in Central Florida since 2007, covering the big stories that impact our community. Lisa was promoted to News 6 evening news co-anchor in May 2014.

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