Crime & Public Safety
Man arrested in Gainesville after woman alleges zip-tying and s3xual assault
Gainesville police arrested a 22-year-old man accused of binding and sexually assaulting a woman inside her apartment in Gainesville. According to the arrest report, officers were called after the victim contacted law enforcement at her workplace following the incident.
Per the report, the suspect arrived at the woman’s home two weeks before the arrest to give her a ride to work, entered the apartment to use the restroom and then asked to stay. The woman refused and an argument reportedly escalated. The victim told investigators the suspect grabbed her from behind, rendered her unconscious with a chokehold, and when she regained consciousness found her wrists bound with zip ties and was threatened with pliers.
The report alleges the suspect forced s3x acts and later raped the woman on a bed. Officers who investigated the apartment found two cut zip ties and a used condom, and the suspect denied being inside the residence or having s3xual contact when interviewed by police. The incident and the evidence described are allegations in the arrest report; those claims have not been adjudicated in court.
The Gainesville Police Department booked Javier Copra Santiago, 22, into the Alachua County Jail on a charge of s3xual assault with a weapon or force. No bond was set and the case status remains as a recent booking pending prosecution.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.