Florida community in turmoil as authorities search for suspected rapist: ‘Simply devastating’

REDDICK, Florida. – Reddick is a small community – a town with just one intersection and a population of less than 500. Most people know each other and crime is not a common occurrence.

“I felt really safe not having to lock my doors,” a woman who lives there told FOX 35.

Nevertheless, around midnight on Sunday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a 91-year-old woman who reported that a man had broken into her home, beaten her and sexually assaulted her.

A family member of the woman told FOX 35 that she, like her neighbors, always considered Reddick a safe area.

“You hear about it, but you don’t think something like this would happen in a small town like this, where you’ve lived your whole life and know everyone in town,” she said. “It’s just devastating.”

A family member of the victim told FOX 35 that the elderly woman suffered a concussion, severe bruising to her face and upper body, and lacerations on her arm.

“It was terrible,” she said. “Nobody deserves to be beaten like that.”

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Some people FOX 35 spoke to Tuesday had already heard about the attack. Those who didn’t were astonished by it.

“It’s scary,” said a woman from Reddick. “It’s very quiet here. I feel safe. My kids feel safe. So it was surprising to hear that.”

What made things even more difficult for the sheriff’s office was that it was dark when the incident occurred and the elderly victim was disoriented, so she couldn’t see her attacker well.

“We are working through a lot of evidence,” said Lt. Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “Our technicians have collected quite a bit. We are hopeful that the suspect will be found soon through fingerprints, DNA and other evidence collected at the crime scene.”

The Sheriff’s Office is asking people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious and to check on people living alone to ensure their safety.

“I had a meeting with all the detectives yesterday. All detectives in the local agency are involved in this case; they are all looking for you. The public is looking for you,” said Lt. Bloom, directing his comments at the attacker.

The victim’s family hopes that more information will come to light in the next few days.

“Someone in the community needs to know something and I hope they speak up because we definitely don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

The sheriff’s office also recommends that all people living alone purchase surveillance cameras.