DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 68-year-old woman was sexually battered and stripped from the waist down after being knocked unconscious early Friday morning, officials from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies said the woman was walking along the beach between Dunlawton Avenue and the El Portal beach approach when she was knocked unconscious. Officials said her injuries indicate that she was struck in the face and then sexually battered.
The incident occurred between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to authorities. The woman awoke to find her clothes were missing from the waist down, according to a news release.
The woman reported the incident to the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety. She was also taken to Halifax Health Medical Center of Port Orange for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Both Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue and VCSO are investigating the case. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-TIPS or through the P3Tips app available on the Crime Stoppers website.