Boy, 14, accused of beating and sexually assaulting 91-year-old woman in Reddick

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and accused of sexually battering a 91-year-old woman inside her Reddick residence on June 9.

The boy, whose name is being withheld by the Star Banner because of his age, was arrested Monday and charged with sexual battery and burglary. A judge on Tuesday determined that the boy will remain in juvenile detention without the opportunity to make bail.

Marion County Sheriff's detectives said they were able to solve the solve the case through DNA, forensic investigation and a confession from the child, according to the arrest report.

The teen made his first court appearance Tuesday morning in front of Circuit Judge Brad King. A legal guardian for the child appeared via Zoom.

King said he found probable cause for the child's arrest. Because of the nature of the crime, the boy will be held in secure detention at least until July 3, which is his next court date. The Public Defender's Office was assigned to represent the teen.

Assistant State Attorney Carrie Proctor told the court the child's case maybe transferred to adult court. The boy's guardian, his grandmother, told the judge she was going to enroll him in home school. The judge told the woman her grandson would be able to go to school while he's in custody.

Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie said in a statement: " We are diligently reviewing the investigation and will make the decision on how the defendant will be charged in the near future."

According to sheriff's Detective Caitlin Hartigan's report, the victim called 911 in the early hours of June 9 to report she was attacked inside her residence by an unknown assailant who physically and sexually assaulted her. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment as deputies investigated.

Hartigan said the victim's arms were bruised. Her right arm had a large red/purple bruise. The right side of her face had a similar color and was swollen. The woman's face was bloody, according to the report.

The woman told the detective she was in bed when she saw a shadow inside her home. The figure approached her and she fought with him. She said the person hit her in the face with their fist. She told the individual to leave her alone and prayed while being attacked.

The woman told the detective the stranger violently removed her underwear and violated her. She said the attacker left the home after the assault.

Her description of the attacker was vague, officials said. The woman speculated she may have left a door unlocked at some point during the day, the report notes.

Hartigan and deputies went to the victim's house looking for evidence. The detective said she did not see any evidence of forced entry.

Sgt. Daniel Pinder and Hartigan interviewed neighbors. During their interviews, the 14-year-old boy told Pinder a neighbor had video footage showing someone wearing a dark T-shirt and shorts jogging in the neighborhood the night of June 8.

Hartigan noted in her report that the boy was wearing clothing similar to that worn by the person seen in the video. The detective questioned the boy; he denied it was him shown on the video. The detective asked and received permission from the boy's guardians to take oral swabs from the child for testing purposes.

The detective returned to the hospital and again interviewed the victim, who gave more details about her ordeal. On Monday, Hartigan was notified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that the boy's DNA was a possible match with DNA material found on the victim's underwear.

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The 14-year-old boy was brought to the sheriff's office for an interview. There, detectives said, he told them that he entered the victim's residence through the living room door and watched pornography on her iPad. He admitted to assaulting the woman.

The victim told the detective she knew the boy and he had stopped by her residence in the past to talk. She said they haven't spoken in awhile and told the detective he's "a good boy," according to the report.

Statement from Sheriff's Billy Woods

Sheriff Billy Woods, who promised to catch the defendant, had this to say about the arrest.

“I told everyone last week that we would find the person responsible, and we have. I’m very proud of the hard work that my detectives and forensics team have done on this case to bring about a quick closure. This type of unimaginable violence is still shocking to me after all of my years in law enforcement. The Reddick community has shown its resilience and support for us and their community through all of this. I also want to thank all of the citizens that sent in tips and leads in this case.

"It came as a shock that any individual would commit such an act on a 91-year-old, but it is truly disturbing when we see the young age of the arrestee. Although I firmly believe he should be held accountable for his crime, as a father, my compassion goes out to his family. Hopefully his arrest will lead to getting him help that prevents any further such acts.”

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Boy, 14, charged with beating and sexually assaulting woman, 91