Police: Man attacked woman inside bathroom of hotel at OIA

ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando Police said a woman was visiting from another state with her family and was staying at the Hyatt Hotel at Orlando International Airport.

They said she was inside McCoy’s restaurant when she went to the bathroom. Police said she noticed a man, Damani Matthews, 24, standing behind her in the mirror.

Reports said Matthews grabbed the woman around the neck, dragged her into a bathroom stall, and told her not to scream. She was eventually able to get away and ran outside the bathroom for help. Police saw Matthews leaving the bathroom and arrested him.

Reports show this is not the first time Matthews has been accused of an attack. According to reports, police arrested Matthews for a fight with a man on an Orlando bus in July 2020. The report said Matthews pulled a knife on the man and accused him of stealing his wallet.  Matthews served 18 months of probation.

In August 2021, Matthews was accused of another attack. This time it was for a fight with an employee at a Publix in Orlando. Police said Matthews spit in the employee’s face, pushed him, and threw a hammer at him while chasing him. He was sentenced to 18 months of felony probation.

Police said Matthews is now in violation of that probation, which has now been revoked.

He is facing several charges for the latest incident, including attempted robbery and attempted kidnapping, both with a deadly weapon.

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