Police arrest Florida man accused of raping 80-year-old woman with cancer

UPDATE: The suspect has been arrested. Read update here.


Ocala police are searching for a man they say got into the apartment of an 80-year-old woman battling cancer, held a screwdriver up to her, and raped her.

This happened at the Saddleworth Greene on SW 41st Street in Ocala on Wednesday night. The man in the photo is considered a person of interest.

"She was alone when the attacker entered her residence and sexually assaulted her," Ocala police said. "He was also carrying a screwdriver and was poking the victim with it. In the surveillance video we obtained, he is seen holding a screwdriver.

We are offering a cash payment to anyone who can provide information leading to the identification of the subject."

When FOX 35 asked Ocala Police how the man got into the apartment, they said the department is still investigating and that it won’t be releasing every detail.

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But one neighbor did mention this:

"They changed our locks from deadbolt locks to smart locks this week, and I don’t know how safe that is either."

She also said the front gate has been broken for about a year.

One woman in the neighborhood told FOX 35 that she saw a man with a similar build to the suspect walking around the complex a couple weeks ago.

"He was just walking along the side, and I’m like, ‘That’s weird, you’re just walking out.’ I remember a similar – it was a strange, he had a similar build."

That neighbor says she’s considering sleeping in a hotel, since she’s afraid to be at the complex with her grandchildren right now. 

"It’s very unnerving. Makes you scared. Makes you not want to turn the lights out."

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The Community Manager for Saddleworth Green Apartments emailed residents Thursday letting them know about the attack.

In that email, he says,

The email from Saddleworth Green's Community Manager continues,

"It has become increasingly important for each of us to be aware of and to report trespassers in our community, as well as any suspicious behavior we may observe."

Ocala police are asking the public to reach out with any information that could help them catch the attacker.