FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Fort Lauderdale woman was the victim of sexual battery after an armed man broke into her apartment and forced himself on her, police said.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, the incident took place at the Pine Crest Apartments along Northeast 18th Avenue, at around 7:30 p.m., Friday.
Neighbors who spoke to 7News on Sunday said they are living in fear. They asked not to be identified or show their faces on camera.
“This just is terrible,” said a resident.
“We need more security in this neighborhood,” said another resident
Residents said the man broke into the woman’s first-floor apartment, and they heard her screaming.
Detectives said the perpetrator entered the victim’s unit through the front door, went straight for her bedroom and jumped on top of her.
Police said the armed subject threatened to kill the woman before he sexually battered her and fled northbound down the hallway.
“This is scary because sometimes I go to work and my wife stays by herself,” said one of the residents who spoke with 7News.
Neighbors said the woman is now too afraid to even come back home.
“It surprised me this morning when one of our neighbors talked to me about it,” said one of the residents who spoke with 7News, “’cause the guy jumped from the fence in the back. That’s what the lady told me about it.”
Residents are now hoping the complex’s management will take steps to make their building more secure.
“Some additional security measures would be all right, starting off with having the gates, you know, giving the keys to all the residents,” said a resident. “That would be a good first step.”
Investigators are hoping someone or any nearby surveillance cameras may have captured the man either leaving or entering the apartment building.
Detectives described the attacker as a man in his mid-30s who stands about 6 feet tall or taller, is clean-shaven, has dreadlocks down to his neck and has a muscular build.
If you have any information on this incident or the subject’s whereabouts, contact FLPD Detective Sgt. Hector Martinez at 954-828-5510, email Detective Christopher Chylack at CChylack@fortlauderdale.gov, or call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, Crime Stoppers callers can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.