‘She started praying’: Niece speaks out after her 91-year-old aunt was sexually abused in a Marion County home

REDDICK, Florida. – A 91-year-old woman is recovering and her niece is speaking out after a man broke into the woman’s home and sexually assaulted her.

The incident occurred around midnight in Reddick, a town in Marion County, the sheriff’s office said. The intruder brutally beat and sexually assaulted her. Investigators are still searching for the suspect.

In addition, a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

According to the woman’s niece, the man was not there to rob her.

“She said he was definitely not there to rob her. He never asked for money or anything,” the woman’s niece said. “He just… She woke up when he came down the hall and then – boom – he was there. So she fought. She fought hard. And when she couldn’t fight anymore, she started praying.”

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said they are currently going through several items to try to find DNA evidence in the case.

“Our DNA lab is testing the items to see if there is DNA on them,” said Marion County Public Information Officer Valerie Strong. “And then if we have something positive, we can send it to the FDLE lab and get it through quickly, and hopefully we can identify a suspect that way. But in the meantime, while we’re still going through this, we’re also asking citizens to continue to call us if they see anything suspicious.”

Reddick residents are asked to report any suspicious activity or unusual occurrences captured by their security cameras. Information can be reported by calling 352-732-9111.