December 29, 2006
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

11-YEAR-OLD GIRL ESCAPES ATTACKER 

An 11-year-old girl escaped an attacker late Thursday afternoon who yanked the victim off of her bicycle, threw her to the ground and tried to pull off her pants. Other than some redness on the victim’s back, she was unhurt. The incident, which occurred near Orange City, is under investigation by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. 

The girl was riding her bicycle in the vicinity of 9th Street and Bishop Avenue just before 5:30 p.m. when the attack occurred. The girl said she saw the suspect making a sand castle and rode towards him to see who he was. When she pedaled up to the suspect, he grabbed her and threw her face first into the ground. The suspect then tried to take off the girl’s pans, but she screamed and her attacker let her go. While the girl rode her bike home to tell her mother what had happened, three boys between the ages of 9 and 12 who were nearby at the time of the attack chased the suspect after hearing the girl’s screams, but couldn’t catch up to him. 

The suspect was described as a Black man between the ages of 16-20. He was approximately 5’7” and had a thin, but muscular build. He had a light to medium skin tone and short, red or orange hair. The suspect was last seen wearing dark blue jeans, a blue t-shirt and black boots. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Sheriff’s investigator Mike Agostinis at (386) 668-3830 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.