Homeless man arrested for beating, robbing, raping woman, Orlando police say

Man accused of dragging woman into alley while walking from Wall Street Cantina

ORLANDO, Fla. – Police have arrested a homeless man on a slew of charges, including attempted murder, after they say he beat up a woman, dragged her behind a building and raped her in downtown Orlando.

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[AUDIO: 911 call released]

"Her jaw was broken and she was hit in the eye," said Sgt. Wanda Ford of the Orlando Police Department. Ford said the woman was left in critical condition.

Javonte Jones, 21, has been charged with sexual battery with a deadly weapon or physical force, attempted felony murder, robbery and kidnapping in the Sunday incident.

According to police, the woman was walking to her car after having drinks at Wall Street Cantina when she was dragged into an alley behind the AT&T building, beaten up and robbed.

Police said the last thing the woman remembered was walking to her car. She returned to Wall Street Cantina at 5 a.m. Monday, injured and missing her purse and cellphone. Police said someone noticed the woman's injuries and called for help.

The woman suffered multiple jaw fractures and a broken nose and was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. While she was at the hospital, police said the woman was found to be wearing no underwear, sparking a rape investigation.

Police established a perimeter near the AT&T building on Magnolia Avenue and found Jones in possession of the woman's cellphone by Lake Eola, according to Ford.

Police said the victim was able to describe Jones by his clothing and size. Jones is listed in the police report as 6 feet 3 inches and 305 pounds. Police said they were able to find him five hours after the attack, "probably due to his size," said Ford. "And just with a little bit of the info she did give us."

Jones was arrested and taken to Orange County Jail.

A search of Orange County court records shows Jones has been arrested for camping, panhandling and possession of drug paraphernalia since 2013.

"He was homeless, but we can't say that all homeless are violent criminals," said Ford.

Several women who spoke to Local 6 on Monday said they were uneasy after the crime, especially with what they describe as a growing homeless problem in Downtown Orlando.

"It's become a huge problem in Orlando," said Fernanda Horvath. "I walk to work every morning, I see them out and about, they approach you."

Local 6 asked Ford about the concerns about the homeless.

"I believe that our population has increased, and when it increases there may be an increase in the homeless also," said Ford.

Ford said Orlando police are not policing any differently after the attack.


About the Authors:

Erik von Ancken anchors and reports for News 6 and is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist in the prestigious and coveted "On-Camera Talent" categories for both anchoring and reporting.

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